It's Magic
by Galadriell
Summary: Harry moves to Forks two years after the Hogwarts Battle.  He meets Edward.  Cue Bella.  Enter Jake.  Enough said.  Jacob/Harry slash.  COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephanie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N:** Yes, I crossed that line. I promised myself I wouldn't do it. But I crossed it. Gah, I'm beating myself up over it, but I can't stop myself from writing this! Damn it! (Revised: 29/12/11)

* * *

Harry shrugged on his dark windcheater while rushing out of the house. He slammed the door shut before groaning and fumbling with his keys to open it again. He needed his umbrella. _Of course I do. Damned rain._ He ran up to his bedroom, wrenching it open and ruffling through his unpacked boxes for it. _Darn it, I'm going to be so late! _He whipped out his wand for the first time in over a month, relishing the feel of it against his skin.

All it took was one silent wave for an unopened box to start rumbling next to the window. An umbrella burst through the cardboard and flew into Harry's hand. He quickly stowed his wand away in a hidden compartment in his jeans. He liked to keep it handy even though he had vowed to himself not to use it. He was, after all, trying to integrate into the Muggle world now. He glanced at his watch, swearing quietly. It was already half-past eight. He stumbled down the stairs and out of the foyer, dragging his bag and coat with him. He slammed the front door shut once again and ran up to the car. No more Apparition for him. He was going to do everything the Muggle way.

As much as he could, anyway.

He clamored into his luxurious black BMW and quickly shifted it to reverse, backing out of his driveway smoothly. He enjoyed driving. It was a quick release from all the pressures that built up inside him. He enjoyed the speed and the rush of the car moving through empty roads at top speeds. That morning, the drizzle had covered the roads with water, causing the wheels to splash. He zoomed into the small highway, rapidly gaining speed as he swerved around the soft corners.

It took him nearly ten minutes to make it to the high school. Students were already piling around the outside, chatting amicably. Harry slowed his car down, not wanting to run over anyone. _Would be very bad form to do that_, he thought as he parked his car easily into a spot as close to the entrance as possible. He felt the butterflies in his stomach swarming wildly. After taking a shaky breath, he put his car in park and ran his hand through his untamable black locks, trying to get them in order.

A cold rush of humidity hit him the moment he got out of his car. That was one thing he was starting to notice about Forks quite rapidly - rain. Rain, rain, rain. _Darned rain_. Water splattered onto his windcheater without hurry. Water turned the ground into mud, dirtying his shoes. Water soaked into his bag that he was trying to keep dry. He was on his way into the school with an umbrella above him and his head hanging down against the wind when he heard a low whistle of appreciation beside him. He looked up questioningly.

A slight statured boy was staring at his car in awe. "How did you afford that?" he asked without a care about how invasive that question was.

Harry smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "I'm partial to cars," he said, looking back at his sporty BMW. He had to admit, it _was_ rather flashy. But, then again, all his brooms had been flashy too.

The boy turned his large smile towards Harry, his brown hair drenched under the rain. "Hey! You're British! Amazing," he exclaimed. "We don't get a lot of new students and to think you're fresh off the boat," he said, tugging at his damp shirt as he stuck out his hand. "I'm Eric. And you are?"

Harry stumbled at the warm greeting. _One of the perks of being in a small town I guess. Everyone knows everyone. _He politely shook Eric's small hand, grinning back. "I'm Harry. Would it be terribly embarrassing if I told you that I'm not a student?"

Eric's smile faltered to make room for a confused frown. "Er…" He withdrew his hand. "But-Wait... You're-"

Harry flushed when he saw Eric's expression. "I'm the new Biology teacher," he explained, stuffing his hand in his pocket uncomfortably.

"Wh-You-you're a teacher?" Eric stammered, looking at Harry suspiciously.

"Yes…" Harry mumbled, brushing his damp hair off of his forehead. He noticed Eric glance at his peculiar scar. He hurried to flattened his hair over it. He would have none of that. He had run away to Forks to get away from questions.

"I'll see you in class... er." Eric broke off.

"Potter. Harry Potter."

"Right, Mr. Potter… I'll see you around," Eric said vaguely before rushing to get as far away from the new teacher as possible.

Harry sighed despondently. He knew he wasn't going to fit in. He was much too young to be a teacher and much too – teacher – to be anything else.

He trudged into the school, his sneakers squelching with water. Perhaps he should have dressed in a suit or something of that nature. He had been in Forks for a fortnight now and everyone he had met had been casual and friendly, so he figured that jeans and a tee was enough for school. He looked down at himself while he shook the umbrella dry and took off his wet coat. He should have _definitely_ dressed up a bit.

He looked around the bustling hallways, biting his lip nervously. Students walked past him without hurry, most of them eyeing him with mild curiosity and faint smiles. He was too tense to respond in kind. He quickly found the office across the main lobby and weaved through the crowd to get to it. The door led into a bright room filled with large abstract paintings, plush chairs and a receptionist's desk demarcating the office into two sides. He stared expectantly at the woman behind the desk. She was on the phone, speaking rapidly about textbook orders and late shipping. She smiled at Harry with an apologetic shrug. Harry smiled back, waving his hand to let her know that he was in no hurry.

After a minute or two, she dropped the phone onto the receiver and sighed tiredly. But she made sure to rearrange her irritated features and smile up at Harry again. "Hello dear, what can I do for you? New student?" she asked, looking down at her notes for a name.

"Oh, no. I'm Harry Potter. The new teacher."

"Ah, yes!" she gushed. "My, my, everyone's been telling me you're young and, now that I see you for myself..." She shook her head at him with a delighted grin. "Biology, right?"

"Yes," Harry hesitated.

"Well, I'm Mary. If you have any questions about school supplies or field trips or lesson plans… Well I suppose, if you have any questions about anything, please come see me. I assume this is your first time teaching."

Harry nodded.

"Well, this is the best school to start at, Mr. Potter. Everyone is _so_ nice, they'll make you feel welcome in no time," she said while promptly getting up from her seat and grabbing a set of keys from her desk. "I suppose I should show you to your room, then!" She stuck her head into the inner office. "I'll be right back. New teacher," Harry heard her say. She laughed at something the person behind the door had said and then closed it. "Everyone is rather excited to see you, Mr. Potter!" she said, looking up at Harry with a sly glint in her eyes. She stepped in front of her desk and pulled the office door open, letting him pass through first before following him. "So, how are you liking it so far?" she asked, walking briskly down the hall.

Harry easily followed behind her, towering over the petite woman. "I-er-I just moved in a couple weeks ago," he said.

"Oh! That explains why I haven't seen you around town then, doesn't it? Where are you from?"

"Surrey, near London."

"Explains the remarkable accent then."

Harry chuckled at the blatant comment. "Where I'm from, I never noticed," he said.

"A charmer," she laughed. "You will get along well with us." She slowed to a halt and waved her hand at the closed door to her right. "This," she said, opening the door, "is your new office."

Harry took a deep, calming breath before walking into the dark room. He fumbled for the light switches and flicked them on.

The right end of the classroom had a large wooden table and a blackboard was mounted on the wall. One of the walls was lined with windows and the other was lined with empty shelves. Thirty-odd desks were scattered around the rest of the room. The back of the room had four large lab benches lined vertically with stools on either side. It looked so bland compared to the classrooms at Hogwarts.

"It's so... empty," he said.

"You can decorate it however you want, Mr. Potter. Isn't it a gorgeous room? The windows have the best view ever," she said happily.

The windows had a view of the dull green grass and the dull grey sky.

"Yes, I suppose so," Harry said slowly, not voicing his opinion.

"So, any other questions?" Mary asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Harry's fine. And I don't know my class schedule."

"Oh, of course, Harry. I'll run up to my office and grab you a copy," Mary said. "Here, keep the key." She undid the key from her keyring and handed it to him. "Welcome to Forks!"

She strode out of the room, leaving Harry to stare out of the wet windows despondently. More rain.

He shuffled to his desk, sliding his bag off of his shoulders. After dumping the contents of it on the table, he rifled through them half-heartedly. He placed his stationery on one corner and his textbooks on the other. He stared at the photo of Ron and Hermione's wedding, smiling at Ron's flushed grin and Hermione's glistening eyes. He ran his hand down the photo before putting it in one of the drawers. Then he walked around the desk, leaning against it thoughtfully. _Start of a new life_.

Mary strode in a few minutes later with a pieces of paper in her hands. She placed them neatly on Harry's desk. "You're going to be teaching four classes, one for each grade. Biology is not the most popular subject, no offense! So you will have two classes in the morning and two in the afternoon. That means that you will have a spare in the morning and one the afternoon. Most teachers use their spares to write up lesson plans for the week. I'm sure you'll know best what to do with your time. So you have the first hour off. Then the ninth and eleventh graders for the next two hours. Then you have lunch. Tenth graders after lunch, then another spare. You end your day off with the twelfth graders. Easy enough, I think. Most of your classes will have about twenty students. They all have their textbooks and I see you have all of yours as well. And now, I'm rambling, so I'll stop talking and let you get to work." Mary tilted her head and smiled at Harry.

He tried to wrap his head around what had just happened. He smiled back tentatively, reading his schedule. "Okay, I'm set, I think," he said.

"Great. Good luck!" Mary said, nodding at Harry encouragingly and walking out of the classroom.

"I need all I can get," Harry muttered, sitting down heavily on his chair. He had just started reading the information Mary had compiled for him when the first bell rang. School was in session.

Harry reminisced about his final days in the wizarding world. The two years after Voldemort's death was absolute torture for him. He had no privacy and no peace. Adoring fans and press perpetually surrounded him. He was frustrated with his public life. He was unnerved by the constant questions about the numerous deaths and horrific injuries sustained by his friends. He had to relive the Hogwarts battle everyday for much too long. He was sick and tired of being the hero, the Boy-Who-Lived.

And Hermione had come up with a solution.

"If you want a normal life, live in the normal world, Harry. Somewhere new, where nobody knows you," she had said.

_Such a simple solution_. So Harry started searching.

He wanted to move away. Far away, where no one could reach him. He had stumbled upon the drab small town in Washington. Population of a little over three thousand and surrounded by lush mountains and forest. It was hidden away from the world, forgotten. It was perfect. Harry had showed the location to Hermione and Ron.

Ron had been less than encouraging.

"It's so far away! Why would you move so far away from us?" he asked.

"I'll come visit. It'll be easy. I just need some time away from this madness," Harry had reasoned.

Hermione was more than accommodating when it came to searching for a home and a job. She had used her contacts to procure Harry a position in the teaching staff at the Forks High School. She helped hunt out a gorgeous two storey house for him just outside of town, despite his protests. He had wanted to buy a flat but she had insisted that if he wanted privacy, it would be best to buy a house. Harry had no qualms about spending money, so he had agreed to Hermione's purchases after a little coaxing. And in a month's time, he found himself in Forks. Alone.

He walked towards the window and stared out into the rainy grounds. He didn't mind being alone all that much. This was the first time he had lived on his own. It was sort of like an adventure and he was making his way through his days one step at a time. He had learned how to grocery shop, keep a home, do laundry and even drive a car in a span of just three months. He was rather proud of himself, in fact. He didn't pay any attention to Ginny's taunts or George's guffaws. He was going to live his life on his own now.

The bell rang again, snapping Harry out of his memories. He quickly smoothed his hand over his shirt to shake it free of wrinkles. Then he ran his fingers through his hair, out of habit, while watching the door nervously. Within seconds, a bustling crowd of ninth years scrambled in, talking and laughing amongst themselves. The chatter died down when they noticed the new teacher standing by the desk. They quickly took their seats, crowding in the middle of the room. There were around thirty of them and all of them seemed to know each other, which wasn't a surprise. The town was small enough for everyone to know everyone. The last student quietly closed the door behind her.

Harry looked at the shy, expectant faces as his stomach churning. _This is such a bad idea!_

He steeled himself against his nervousness.

_You can do this. This is nothing compared to Voldemort_. He managed to smile somehow as he mumbled, "Hello."

The students smiled back, some of them murmuring greetings back.

"I'm Harry Potter and I guess I'm the new Biology teacher for the year," he said, pleased to see friendly expressions. "Shall we start with introductions?"

So began his first class.

Mary was right; the students were very welcoming and eager to learn. Harry had a few stumbles along the way but the fifteen year olds easily overlooked them, nodding encouragingly when he handed out outlines for the year and talked about what he wanted to achieve within the span on the year.

The hour passed quickly as Harry started on the first chapter. Biology was rather easy for him. It was simply the way the world worked, so it was easy enough to learn. There was always an explanation and, although the explanations differed from the wizard way of thinking, it still made sense to him. It was simply a lot of memorization and piecing things together. A puzzle.

And he had only gotten ten pages into it when the bell rang and made him jump with fright. "Merlin, I don't think I'll get used to that," he muttered.

The students in his proximity giggled. Harry flushed, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

"Right, er... I really wasn't planning on assigning any homework. That's fine with you guys, right?"

The question earned more giggles.

"Good," he said, shrugging to himself as he closed his textbook.

The students shuffled out of the room, no doubt discussing their first biology lesson. The ninth years filed out and the eleventh years straggled in, this time a scarce twenty of them. Harry was feeling much more confident now. He introduced himself the same way as before and received the same response as before. The second hour passed even quicker than the first. The class passed without interruption and Harry was feeling quite good when the bell rang.

"That means lunch, right?" he asked, sliding his book on his desk. A few students nodded in ascent. "Good," he smiled. The students stayed in their seats. "Um... You can go?" he faltered, wondering why no one was getting up.

The students scrambled in their seats, embarrassed by their inaction. They quickly exited the room, a few of them smiling shyly at Harry before following their friends.

He heaved a sigh of relief and plopped onto his seat once the last student had left. His stomach growled in protest. He hadn't had time to eat breakfast and all this nervous speaking was draining him. He grabbed his lunch out of his bag and leaned back on his chair, stretching his tired limbs. He scooted his chair back far enough so he could prop his legs up on the desk. He opened his lesson plan for the tenth graders and started reading while munching happily on his sandwich. He was so engrossed in the notebook that he didn't notice the door open.

"Hello!"

Harry gulped quickly, almost choking. He looked up in surprise at the blond head that was poking into the room. "Hello," he said as he brushed away the crumbs off his mouth.

A stout body soon followed the blond head into the room. The man strolled in with a happy air around him. "I'm Tom, I teach PE. You must be Mr. Potter, am I right?" Harry dropped his legs from his table and struggled up, catching his notebook before it could topple to the ground. He wiped his hands clean before shaking Tom's hand. "Just wanted to welcome you to Forks High. It isn't often that we get new teachers, you know," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank you," Harry replied.

"How were your first classes?"

"Great! The students were great."

"Yeah, they are, aren't they? So, has anyone given you a tour of our prestigious school yet?"

"No."

"Well, I'll be the one to do that then," Tom said, turning around without waiting for Harry's response.

"Oh… Okay," Harry muttered to himself. He followed Tom out of his classroom into the almost empty hallways.

"Everyone's in the cafeteria," Tom explained. "The whole school is a big donut. So if you get lost, I'd be incredibly curious. See, each class has the name of the teacher and their subject on the door. Most of us have been here for years. You'll get your name on your door soon enough."

Harry followed Tom around the school and the layout of the library , computer rooms, staff lounge, gym, and cafeteria were pointed out ot him. Grey lockers lined the hallway and posters were plastered on bulletin boards. Tom had a tendency to talk more than listen, which Harry was okay with. He tuned him out after a few minutes, gazing at the graduation pictures that lined the walls on top of the lockers. Je thought back to his Hogwarts graduation, saying goodbye to his friends and venturing out into the real world. There had been tears and promises and smiles and memories. It had been spectacular.

He must have missed an important part of the conversation because he was snapped back to reality by Tom nudging his elbow.

"Harry, I was just wondering whether you wanted to see the teacher's lounge? You should have lunch with us."

Harry smiled gratefully. "I'd like that but how about I take a rain check? I need to get back and reread some of my notes for next class."

Tom waved his hand carelessly. "Of course! No hurry at all. Just drop by whenever you feel like it," he said. They walked back to Harry's classroom making small talk. "Class starts in thirty minutes, so I won't keep you. Enjoy the rest of your day!"

"Thanks, Tom," Harry said before walking into his classroom. He stared out the window after the shut the door behind him. Sunlight was starting to filter in through the clouds. Harry watched the trees glistening against the light and the grass moving against the frigid breeze. _It's not so bad_.

The next class went by smoothly, most of the students behaving themselves as Harry filled them in on the lessons for the coming year. Small cheers rang up when he hinted on possible field trips. He mentally patted himself on the back for doing such a good job on the first day. He supposed it had something to do with the fact that he was very much still a student himself. The bell ran again and the second spare hour came quickly. Harry astutely read his notes, making corrections to the lesson plan as he thought fit. He rubbed his tired eyes as he waited for the final class of the day. _Thank goodness I don't need glasses anymore. That'd have been a pain in this rain_. He let out loud yawn, the rainy weather making his drowsy. _Better get used to it, I guess._

The bell rang for the final class of the day. He stretched himself awake and blinked back the sleep. He had trepidations regarding the twelfth graders. They were, after all, much closer to his age. Undermining his authority would be easy for them, being the eighteen-year-old rebellious types. He straightened himself out just in time too. The door shot open and invited in loud students who were all quite excited about their first day. The conversations abruptly stopped, however, when they spotted the new teacher sitting on the desk with his legs dangling under him carelessly.

"No way," one of the blond girls breathed, staring at Harry with wide eyes. Her friends giggled conspiringly as they poked at the girl to stop staring. The laughing group quickly took their seats at the front of the class, staring wondrously at their brand new Biology teacher. Harry cleared his throat uncomfortably, shifting under their gaze and looking down at himself to make sure he didn't have an embarrassing mustard stain on his shirt or anything of that sort. He had gotten used to giggles and whispers when he was in London, but why was it happening now? No one knew him... He was nothing to be stared at. He nervously drummed the desk, waiting for the rest of the students to show up.

He frowned at the ground when he felt a twinge in his chest. He looked up at the door, curious to see what had piqued his interest.

Three students had just walked in, looking calmer than the rest of the students. Harry held his breath unconsciously as he stared at them. The first thought in his mind was, _stunning_. They looked related - pale marble faces and deep topaz eyes. Their presence stilled the room for a moment, but only for a moment.

The petite dark-haired girl was smiling lovingly at the grim boy beside her. She reached up and pecked a kiss on his cheek faster than Harry could blink. The boy mumbled something to the girl and she laughed musically. The sound carried to Harry's desk, making him fidget. The couple moved across the room with grace and lithe, choosing a corner at the back of the room to sit at. Harry then looked at the third student who had seated himself in the middle of the room. The desk was soon neatly arranged with paper, textbook and a pen. Pale, light fingers moved across the desk, coming to a rest on the pen. There was an almost melodic quality to the way those hands moved.

Harry raised his eyes from the student's desk to his downturned face.

And he let out a slow release of air.

The boy was incredible. His lids were half-closed as he read the open textbook. Harry noticed the faint purple undertones around his eyes, but it hardly deterred from the beauty. In fact, it magnified the man's flawless skin. His narrow face was pale, yet healthy. Harry noticed a faint glow emitting from him and started wondering if this was just some hallucination. His nose sat perfectly upon his face, angular and soft. His lips were twitched upwards like he was laughing at his own personal joke. His deep, bronze hair was ruffled without care.

He was so... irritatingly perfect.

Harry clenched his jaw. _That's just great. I'm checking out my students. Ugh!_

He jumped off of his desk, silencing the students. He smiled warmly at them, making sure to avoid the boy in the middle. "Hi. I'm Harry Potter and I'll be your Biology teacher for the year," he said, drawing loud sighs from the girls. He raised his eyebrows at them and that hardly stopped them from smiling flirtatiously at him. "Right," he muttered, turning around to grab his book from the table. That was when he felt a slight pull in his mind, causing him to frown.

He shook it off and kept going. "I'll try my hardest to make this as enjoyable as possible, but I also need you guys to work. I don't hand out easy... marks..." He faltered when he felt another pull in his mind, only this time it was stronger and more purposeful. He firmly shut his mind away using Occlumency, his lips twitching under the mild discomfort. He looked back up at the class to gather his wits.

"So, is it really just the-" Harry counted quickly. "-sixteen of us?"

The class chuckled and nodded.

"Biology isn't _that_ bad, is it?" he asked incredulously.

The girl sitting up front chimed, "Biology isn't bad, but the teacher was."

"Oh... Well, hopefully I do a better job, then," Harry mumbled with a sigh.

"You will," the impish girl from the back called out, her clear voice causing Harry's heart to quiver. His eyes were involuntarily drawn towards her. He noticed her lips moving rapidly and her head tilted towards her boyfriend. He also noticed the boy in the middle of the class titling his head towards them, a slight frown gracing his straight brow. It looked like he was listening to the conversation.

_Focus, Harry._

Harry pushed forward with his lesson.

"So, this year we will be studying the circulatory and respiratory systems, some genetic evolution theories and ecosystem diversity. It's not a heavy syllabus so you should be able to cope without stressing yourselves out. I will be testing after each unit and there will be a midterm and a final. I-"

"Excuse me."

Harry's heart thumped loudly as he flicked his eyes towards the bronze haired man who was sitting up straight in his chair. "Yes?" he asked, feeling a much stronger pull in his mind. He frowned thoughtfully. He knew his Occlumency was strong enough to hold his mind steady but he had no idea who was using Legilimency on him to begin with.

The boy imitated him, frowning while staring into Harry's emerald eyes.

"Where are you from?" he asked simply.

Harry blinked at the boy's calm tone. It was such an easy question but his voice conveyed more. Harry's mind reeled at the effect the boy was having on him. "Surrey," he said after clearing his throat.

"And how old are you?"

The class was filled with murmurs at this question. Apparently this was the question that was on everyone's minds.

Harry sighed dejectedly. "Does it really matter?" he stalled.

The boy shrugged his slender shoulders but the class said yes in unison.

"Going on twenty-two..."

"What?" the girls squealed and the boys groaned.

The handsome student chuckled at the students and nodded once at Harry as a thank you for answering his question.

Harry twitched his lips up hesitantly. "Any more questions?"

Hands shot up instantly.

He stifled an exasperated sigh. _That's just great..._

Most of the class was wiled away with extremely personal and unreasonably complex questions. Harry made up most of the answers on the spot since the truth would make absolutely no sense to Muggles. The bronze haired boy did not ask anything else, which was a relief. He contented himself with staring languidly at Harry or glancing suggestively at the pixie girl. By the time bell rang, Harry was thoroughly frazzled.

"Well, look at that. It seems you managed to waste an entire class. I have half the mind to load you with homework," Harry grumbled, narrowing his eyes at the class.

The students groaned.

"What? I said I had half the mind. The other half wants to go home. So I'll see you guys tomorrow," Harry said, walking back to his desk.

The students excitedly got up from their desks, talking about their first day and classes.

Harry grabbed all of his notes, stuffing them into his bag. He was just about to put the textbooks in when he caught a flutter of movement on the other side of his desk. He looked up and found himself face-to-face with the boy who had managed to frazzle him.

"I'm Edward Cullen," he introduced himself.

"Hello," Harry stuttered, mentally kicking himself for even remotely feeling the way he did. The twinge in his magic was growing rapidly and he bit his lip thoughtfully while observing Edward.

"How are you liking Forks so far?"

"Besides the rain? It's great."

"Forks is all about rain," Edward remarked, smiling faintly.

"Maybe I'll grow to like it, then," Harry replied.

"Do you have family here?"

"No. It's just me."

"Then why are you here?"

Harry noted the immense curiosity in Edward's tone. "I... Well, I wanted a change, that's all," he settled.

"And you chose Forks," Edward mused to himself.

"Why the tenth degree?" Harry asked, closing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Just wondering," Edward said vaguely. "Would you like to have dinner with my family tonight?"

Harry almost stumbled backwards at the question. "Wow, isn't that a little... forward?" he asked, laughing incredulously.

"Oh, is it? I just thought... Well, you said you didn't know anyone here. You could get to know my family," Edward explained innocently.

"I... um… Is it alright if I politely decline? I haven't fixed up my place yet and... I-I'm not really a family dinner type of guy," Harry fumbled through, hoping the two excuses would be enough.

"Hmm… That's fine. I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Potter," Edward said nonchalantly. He smiled at Harry one last time before walking out of the classroom.

_What is happening? _Harry groaned in mortification. That had been the _lamest_ excuses ever!

-x-

**A/N: ** Don't bash me. This is for my own reprieve; please don't read any further if you don't want to! Because it's about to get a heck of a lot weirder.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

-x-

The next day, Harry arrived at school early enough to beat the rush of students. He got out of his car, swiftly putting on his fitted jacket and shouldering his bag. He closed the door, looking over the top of his car at the peaceful road. It'd been a while since he was alone like this, and the uneasiness was growing in him since he moved. He felt a pull at his mind again and he angrily slapped the top of his car before twirling around. He stared into large topaz eyes and he jumped backwards, bumping into his car. He raised his hand to his chest, breathing out.

"Fuck – oh, sh – I mean, you scared me!" Harry said, blushing and clapping his hand to his mouth.

Edward smiled easily, lifting his eyebrows at the curse. "Sorry, didn't mean to," he said. He stepped back slowly, gauging Harry. Harry felt a stronger pull in his mind. He frowned at Edward, noting his steady gaze.

"What're you doing here so early?"

Edward shrugged. "Didn't have anything to do at home. It's too loud there, so I came here," he smiled.

"Siblings? My best friend has about six… well, he had six…" Harry trailed off, sadness filling him. He must've looked distant because Edward cleared his voice before speaking again.

"I've got four, although they're only fosters. Then there's Carlisle and Esme, they took us in," he said.

"You guys close?"

"Closest."

"Hmm…" Harry started walking towards the school, knowing Edward would follow. He felt a forceful tug at his mind, which caused him to take a deep breath and calm himself down. He was never any good at Occlumency and this wasn't a very powerful source of Legilimency. But it _was_ invading his mind. He shrugged it off. Edward noticed Harry's steps faltering before picking up again. He stared at the back of Harry's head oddly.

"What do you mean, had?" he asked suddenly.

Harry glanced back at Edward, his mouth open at the abruptness of the query. "Do you always ask personal questions?" Harry asked, his gaze turning chilly. He didn't want to talk about it to anyone, especially not his student.

Edward knew he was walking on thin ice when he saw Harry's expression change to a cold mask. "No. You're the first, Mr. Potter," he muttered.

"Oh," Harry said stupidly, turning back around and walking up to the entrance. He held the door open for the boy to walk through. He flinched when Edward's soft wrist brushed against his hand. It was ice cold and a shiver ran down Harry's spine. His magic flared inside him and he felt unsettled. _Who is this?_ Harry knew it wasn't another wizard. He always knew when another of his kind was near him. The presence emitted by Edward was different. This magic felt more guttural, primitive even. He noticed Edward flinching away from the touch too and wondered if he felt the same stirring. Neither man said anything about it, both on their guard.

They stood in the lobby, silently sizing each other up. Harry was the first to break the uncomfortable silence. "Well – I'll see you in class, Mr. Cullen," he said, stepping away from Edward.

"It's Edward," the bronze haired boy said quietly.

"R – Right," Harry stammered, walking away as fast as he could without jogging. He fumbled with his keys and pulled the door to his classroom open, slamming it shut once he was inside. He let out his held breath, massaging his aching forehead. He needed to talk to Hermione. Fast.

The rest of the day passed quickly. Harry was starting to gain momentum in his lessons, already assigning mild homework to the grumbling students, using stern voices to calm down the hyperactive ones, and congratulating the students who got the right answers. He went to the teachers' lounge for lunch, enjoying the laidback atmosphere in the room. Most of the teachers were more than welcoming of Harry. He mentally noted to stay away from the Chemistry and Math teachers, who seemed fond of rubbing Harry's inexperience in his face every few minutes. But otherwise, he was pleasantly treated and small talk was abundant. It took his mind off of the stress of starting a new life. Mary was right – everyone _was_ so friendly in Forks.

Once again, he dreaded the last class, this time because he'd have to face Edward. He steeled himself for the presence of the three individuals as they walked into the room. _For a foster brother and sister, those two are _awfully_ close_, Harry thought, smiling as the small impish girl clutched her boyfriend's hand lovingly. It reminded him of a confident Hermione and a hesitant Ron. Once again, his mind was pulled and prodded at. He tried his best to ignore it. He was almost completely sure that this was Edward's doing because the boy was the only one who had been staring at him intently for the past hour. But he didn't know _how_ he was doing it. If he wasn't a wizard, how could he use Legilimency on Harry? Class ended after a grueling hour. Harry dismissed the class with a few pages to read for the next day. He slowly packed his bag, his mind filling with thoughts.

"Dinner tonight?" Edward's voice sounded quietly. Harry smiled despite himself.

"No –" he started saying as he looked up at the boy. He stopped when he noticed his brother and sister flanking him. The girl was grinning wildly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Her boyfriend looked constipated.

Edward pointed at his siblings successively. "Alice, Jasper. My brother and sister."

Harry smiled in greeting.

"Edward told me you don't know anyone here! That's why we thought maybe you could have dinner with us," Alice said softly. Harry's mind flashed with a picture of a fairy from Muggle tales. He assumed they would all look like Alice if they didn't have wings.

"I'm sorry, it's just – I'm not very comfortable with dinners," Harry said feebly, realizing too late how stupid he sounded.

"Oh, okay. Well, the offer stands," Alice replied casually. "See you tomorrow, Mr. Potter," she said, dragging her mellow boyfriend after her. Edward looked at Harry for a moment longer before gliding noiselessly after his sister.

_Wow, I really need to talk to Hermione_. Harry quickly stuffed his books and papers into his bag, not bothering to arrange them neatly. He raced home in fifteen minutes flat, knowing full well that he had broken several traffic laws. He could care less because right then he was running up the stairs. He rifled through his half-opened boxes, looking for his urn of Floo Powder. Having found it after a few minutes of frantic searching, he lit the fireplace in his living room and threw some of the powder in. The flames instantly danced green and Harry stuck his head in it, feeling the coolness lapping against him.

"Seashell Cottage," he murmured, feeling a heady rush as his eyes flickered through numerous fireplaces and houses before stopping at the calm cottage in which Ron and Hermione lived. He waited impatiently for Hermione to realize that Harry's head was in her fireplace. After a few moments of quiet, Harry bellowed.

"HERMIONE!"

He heard a clatter upstairs and a steady stream of curses. Harry stifled his laughter at hearing Hermione's swear so colorfully.

"Harry, you gave me a fright!" Hermione yelled back, running down the stairs. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and she looked like she had been cleaning a sewer.

"I see Ron's vocabulary has rubbed off on you," Harry chortled. Hermione scowled sternly at Harry before plopping down the rug.

"What's up?" she asked, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"Not much," Harry said. "It's really peaceful here. Work is great, the house is amazing, and the weather is deplorable. I'll live," Harry winked.

"Good," Hermione said kindly.

"Er – so something's happening to me that I can't really explain. I was hoping you'd know," Harry started saying. Hermione nodded at him to continue.

"There's this student – well, there are these students in my twelfth year class who're… strange. They have this presence about them, physical and magical. They're all freakin' beautiful, to begin with. But there's something else. The one guy, Edward, whenever he's around me, I feel him using Legilimency on me."

"Harry –" Hermione said, looking alarmed.

Harry quickly interjected. "He's not a wizard, I can feel that. But he's – they're something else. When I touched his hand I felt my magic moving, rushing around. I've never felt that kind of response from a wizard before. It felt like raw energy. Can you think of anything that could do that?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "A lot of things, Harry. Most of them dangerous. If it feels like raw energy, I'm guessing an ancient creature of some kind. Powerful too. Are you sure they aren't Dark?"

Harry laughed at Hermione's question. He thought back to Edward's innocent eyes and Alice's melodic giggle. "They're way too beautiful to be dangerous," he said.

"Harry, haven't you heard the expression beauty is only skin deep?"

Harry rolled his eyes at his sensible friend. "Okay, so what should I do?"

"Tell me all about them."

Harry felt his heart floating with relief. At least he had someone to talk to.

-x-

The rest of the week passed uneventfully. Harry felt like he'd found his niche with the students. Although he missed the magic, he enjoyed the company of his students and their carefree chatter. For the moment, he could pretend that he was a carefree teen as well. And every day, the three Cullens would meet him after class and invite him for dinner. Harry would politely decline, wondering why they would persist even after his numerous vague excuses. Hermione had yet to contact Harry with any more news. He merely fed her more and more information about the three students. Harry noticed that the Cullens were the top students in all the classes, gaining perfect scores on quizzes. He caught them rapidly twitching their lips when they thought no one was looking. Harry assumed they were talking to one another during class, but he had no clue how they heard each other when they sat five desks apart. They were ambidextrous and had impeccable writing with both hands. Edward had the habit of smiling abruptly in class. He also lightly chewed on his pen when he seemed to be concentrating. He tapped his foot to an unheard rhythm when the class was chattering. He enjoyed answering questions in class, explaining each detail to full lengths. He neatly arranged his books in his bag, taking his time to make sure it all fit properly. And Harry knew he was completely obsessed with Edward.

It was Saturday morning and Harry was snuggled up warmly in his bed. He had to go shopping to stock up his pantry, but the damp weather was making sleep in. He was glad that his night terrors had stopped. He had been an insomniac for years, but since moving to Forks, he hasn't had a problem with sleep. He sighed into his duvet, staring at the wet window. He glanced at his clock in dismay. It was already eleven in the morning. He struggled out of bed, feeling fully awake when his feet touched the cold hardwood floor. He quickly slipped on a pair of jeans and a red hoodie. After freshening up in the bathroom, he decided to grab some lunch in town after shopping. He kicked on his sneakers and left the house, not bothering with his umbrella. The drive down to Forks was quiet. Harry enjoyed the green forest surrounding him as he drove down the highway and exited towards the small town. He found the local supermarket and parked in the empty lot, jumping out of his car and running in, shielding himself from the rain.

The store was quiet, like the rest of the town. Tinny seventies music played over the speakers as Harry grabbed basket and started walking down the aisles. The people he passed in the store smiled at him politely, staring at the new face. A few of them even bothered to introduce themselves. Harry was running his fingers through his hair carelessly while staring at the wide assortment of chocolates in front of him when he felt the pull in his brain again. _Edward_… Harry sighed and looked up and down the aisle. Sure enough, Edward was walking towards him, holding his hand up to wave. Harry steeled himself against Edward's presence, consciously calming his heart.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter," Edward said smoothly, stopping a few feet away from Harry. Harry smiled back pleasantly.

"I imagine this is what it's like living here, running into people all the time," he said vaguely, choosing an orange flavored chocolate bar and dropping it into his basket.

"Yes, you run into people all the time," Edward remarked with an equally vague tone.

Harry felt a strong push into his mind. His eyes flashed at Edward. He was feeling tired and irritable with no food in his stomach and he couldn't handle Edward's mind games.

_Cullen, STOP THAT RIGHT NOW! _He yelled in his mind. Edward staggered backwards at the force, his eyes widening at Harry. Harry looked at Edward triumphantly, feeling his mind relax again. "Good," Harry muttered, walking past the stunned boy. He groaned inwardly when he heard light footsteps following him.

"Edward, can I do something for you?" he asked, his shoulders slumping in defeat. This boy just wouldn't let go.

"Yes. Have dinner with us."

Harry rubbed his eye in frustration. "I don't want to," he said bluntly.

"Why?"

"I don't know you."

"Yes, you do. I'm Edward Cullen, one of your biology students. My family is amazing and I'm sure they would appreciate having you over, Mr. Potter."

Harry was stumped. "I don't like to be forced into decisions," he grumbled.

"No one's forcing you."

"You just did."

"I was just explaining to you why you should have dinner with us."

"And I was just explaining to you why I don't want to."

"Look Mr. Potter, this argument is circular and we could be standing here all day. How does seven sound?"

Harry glared at Edward. "It sounds awful," he said, knowing he sounded like a little child.

"Eight then? Here's my address. It's informal, so no need to dress up. Just my family and I," he pushed a piece of paper into Harry's hand. "See you then," he said, smiling slightly before walking out of the store.

"But – I don't want to," Harry said pitifully into thin air.

-x-


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

-x-

"Hermione," Harry whined, his head flickering in the green fire.

"What?" she shouted back, poking her head out of her office.

"I was invited to dinner by the Cullens."

"_What_?" she shouted back more forcefully, stumbling out of the room. "You can't! I mean – I haven't even finished looking up all the things – What if – Don't go!"

"Edward was _very_ pushy. What's the worst that could happen, really… I mean, I have my wand on me. And there's only seven… of… them…"

"Harry Potter, don't you dare!"

"Well, just tell me what all they _could _be, and I'll see what I can do about it."

"There are a hundred things they could be, Harry. Which is why you can't do anything about it. Don't go."

"Isn't it bad form to ditch dinners?"

"Argh! Harry, you are infuriating!"

"Maybe I can slip out after first course…"

"_Harry!_"

-x-

Harry arrived at the Cullens driveway at eight. He sat in his car, wringing his hands nervously. The large house loomed in front of him, windows dotting the walls freely and faint white light emerging from them. The house was inset with a long driveway snaking up the hill towards it. Tall tree surrounded the house, shading it, giving it privacy. Hermione's warning tugged at Harry's mind. He was about to shift his car to reverse and back out of the driveway when Edward opened the door to the house, staring at the car. Harry sighed in defeat and switched off his BMW, gingerly letting himself out.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter. Welcome to my home," Edward said loudly as Harry trudged up the stairs toward the front door.

"Thanks," Harry grumbled, slipping off his shoes and walking into the house. An instant aroma of delicious spices filled his nose. He stopped in his tracks as he took in the smell and the sights. He had ended up in the main lobby and it was sparcely decorated with artwork and rugs. The house was white as snow and the dark wood floors glinted against the starkness of the décor. Harry ran his eyes up the polished stairs, noting three stories. He was led into the living room, where he got an eyeful of the Cullens. Harry gasped inwardly at seeing the entire family in one room. They were all looking at him expectantly when he followed Edward in. Harry felt quite inadequate in the presence of the company. The oldest of the seven individuals look not a day over thirty. They all had pale, glistening complexion and deep topaz eyes. But they were also as different from each other as they were the same. Edward quickly introduced his family to Harry.

The tall, voluptuous blond woman was Rosalie and she was clutching at the burly, muscled Emmett with fervor. Harry nodded at Jasper and Alice, smiling at Alice's excited grin. The statuesque rounded woman was introduced as Esme, their foster mother. The medium built older man with soft brown hair was Carlisle, their foster father.

"It's a pleasure," Harry said, trying to be as eloquent as he could.

Carlisle laughed warmly. "I assure you, Mr. Potter, the pleasure is ours," he said charmingly.

"Edward tells me you're from Surrey. Is this your first time out of England?" Esme asked, motioning for Harry to sit down on the couch. The family sat as one, each moving gracefully as they moved into various positions. Edward chose to sit next to Harry, causing him to twitch uncomfortably. He had yet to feel the pull in his mind and he felt relieved that he hadn't yet.

"Er… Yes. First time out of England," Harry nodded.

"Interesting place to move to, isn't it, Esme?" Rosalie asked in a slight contemptuous tone.

"Yes, it is!" Esme agreed, conveniently ignoring Rosalie's hidden meaning. Harry wondered what the meaning was.

"I needed some place to get away from it all. This was the first place I stumbled upon, so here I am," Harry said faintly, smiling sheepishly at his answer.

"Fair enough," Carlisle said. "Alice tells me you are quite young. Is this your first teaching job then?"

"Yes, it is."

"I hear you are doing marvelously," Esme said, smiling warmly at Harry. Harry blushed at the compliment.

"He is," Edward said softly. Harry's heart fluttered rapidly. The Cullens snapped their eyes at Harry questioningly, like they'd heard his pulse. Harry frowned slightly, managing to slow his heart down to a regular rhythm. "So, what do you do?" Harry asked Carlisle.

"I'm a doctor," Carlisle said.

"Noble profession!" Harry said, smiling appraisingly at Carlisle's modest face.

"I try," he replied graciously.

"And you, Esme?"

"I'm content at home," she replied.

"Speaking of which, it is very beautiful," Harry said, looking around the serene living room.

"Aren't you just precious! Thank you!" Esme said, gushing.

Edward exhaled in exasperation. "Enough small talk. Mr. Potter, we were wondering what you are," he said, staring at Harry pointedly.

Harry's heart drummed louder than ever now. He was also sure that the Cullens heard it because they all stared at him with mild amusement and curiosity.

"I'm – I don't know what you mean," he said, shifting in his seat.

"We can feel you, no point in hiding," Rosalie said harshly. Emmett smiled apologetically for her.

"You can – feel me?" Harry stammered. He mentally berated himself for falling into their trap. _Hermione's going to kill me… If they don't kill me first, that is._

"No need to be alarmed, Mr. Potter," Esme said soothingly, glaring at Rosalie.

"I think you can feel us too, right?" Edward asked.

Harry nervously bit his lip, looking at Carlisle and Esme. Both looked pleasantly at him, encouraging him. He opened his mouth slightly but caught himself before he said a word.

"I – I should go," he said, shooting up off the couch.

He felt a wave of calmness spreading through him. His mind panicked slightly at the unnatural sensation but his body reacted by sitting back down. He closed his eyes against the peacefulness, trying to figure out where it came from. "What is that?" he murmured.

"That's Jasper. He can control the environment. He's calming you right now," Alice said proudly.

Harry's mind reeled. _Who are these people?_ He pushed against the peaceful aura, using his magic to repeal it from his body. His mind was still panicking but his body wasn't moving. He pushed with a greater force, struggling against Jasper. With a burst of energy, he knocked the calmness out of his body and shot back up. Jasper stared at him, wide-eyed.

"How –" Carlisle started saying. Harry whipped around and stared at him furiously.

"I have to go," he said through gritted teeth. He growled lowly when he felt a sharp force tugging at his mind. "Edward, stop," Harry muttered, his back turned to him.

"No."

Harry gaped at the response, turning around to glare furiously at him.

"Stop _fucking _with me," he hissed. Edward responded by digging deeper. Before Harry could control himself, he pulled out his wand and pointed it at Edward's chest.

"Stop it _right now_, or so help me Merlin, I _will_ hex you to kingdom come," Harry said fiercely. "_No one_ looks through my mind but _me_, understand?" he asked. He felt the presence leave his mind in an instant. He blinked at Edward's confused expression, realizing what he'd just done.

"I – er…" he quickly replaced his wand, stammering for an excuse. "Sorry," he mumbled, staring at the floor as he walked away from the stunned crowd.

"Don't you want to know what we are?" Esme's clear voice sounded behind Harry. Harry stopped in his tracks, frowning in confusion.

"You _want_ to tell me what you are?" he asked, glancing at her over his shoulder. He yelped when Alice suddenly appeared in front of him. "Wh – How – I –" he stammered with shock.

"We're vampires."

"Oh, you've got to be bloody kidding me!" Harry groaned as he rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. "Why do these things only happen to me?"

"Oh, this has happened before?" Alice asked innocently.

Harry felt a hysterical giggle bubbling up but he stilled it before it burst out of him. He figured he already looked like a nut without laughing like a maniac. He sighed dejectedly, turning around to look at the rest of the room. "You can't be vampires. You look nothing like them," he said tiredly.

He stumbled backwards when Alice appeared before him again in an instant. "Alice, stop. I'm about to die of a fright without you doing that every two minutes," Harry muttered. Alice laughed pleasantly.

"What do you mean, we look nothing like them?" Edward asked.

Harry figured since he was bound to be sucked dry anyways, might as well fill them in. "You don't have fangs. And you're all too beautiful. Believe me, you're not vampires," Harry said, rolling his eyes as he remembered his encounter with Sanguini at Professor Slughorn's Christmas party.

"You've met others?" Emmett asked, cocking his head to the side.

"First tell me this, am _I_ the dinner?"

Harry's question was met with silence. Then the room echoed with marvelous laughter. Harry twitched his mouth in consternation. He didn't like being laughed at. He folded his arms across his chest, waiting for the Cullens to regain their composure.

"No, you're not dinner, Mr. Potter," Edward chuckled. "We're vegetarians. No humans for us."

Harry rolled his eyes at them. "Well, isn't that a huge relief," he muttered sardonically.

"So, you've met others?" Emmett asked again, his shoulders shaking with mirth.

"A few. One by name, the others… Well, never mind," Harry's memories flicked back to the battle where he had slashed at a dozen bloodthirsty creatures.

"What are you?" Esme asked, her eyes shining with amazement.

"I'm just Harry," he said miserably, wishing it were true. He had run away from the fame and press only to be stuck in a house full of vampires. _Just my luck_.

"Not just Harry," Edward said, looking bemused.

"Fine, I'm a wizard. Happy?" he said, looking around the room scornfully.

The Cullens blinked at him blankly. Harry ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. The Cullens then shifted their gaze to Harry's scar. He quickly flattened his ruffled hair, covering it up. "Quit staring. It's rude," he mumbled, knowing the Cullens could hear him.

"What's a wizard?" Alice asked, looking at him with awe.

"Oh for – what do you mean? You know, a wizard. How many kinds of wizard do you know?" Harry said, irritation surging through him.

"How many kinds of vampire do you know?" Jasper countered.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He gulped loudly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I need a drink," he said sullenly, walking back to the couch and dropping on it.

A few seconds later, Edward appeared beside him, holding out a glass of water. Harry chuckled at the chilled glass, taking it from Edward's hand. "I was thinking of something stronger, but this will do," he said as he quickly gulped it down.

The Cullens all sat down again elegantly, looking at Harry with curious expressions. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Er… A wizard is a man who can use the magic inside him to do – things," he said.

"What can you do?" Carlisle asked.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Move that piano to the other side," Edward said, pointing at the black grand piano on one side of the long room. Harry slipped out his wand.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_," he said, moving the piano easily across the room. The Cullens gasped in unison.

"And that is your wand?" Edward breathed, staring at Harry's hand.

"I – yes. My wand," Harry said.

"That was an easy one. Do something harder," Rosalie taunted.

"I don't know what you want me to do. I - there's so much I _can_ do," Harry said, looking at her helplessly. He carelessly flicked his wand at the glass that was sitting on the table, turning it into an ornately designed box, then to a handful of pebbles, then to pocket watch and back to a glass. He filled the glass back up with water. He changed Alice's hair from black to red. He used _Rictusempra _on Edward, causing him to collapse with laughter. He silenced Rosalie with a _Silencio,_ much to her chagrin and Emmett's amusement. He conjured small fluttering birds out of his wand. e He He shrugged at the Cullens. "There's so much I _can_ do," he said again.

"So… Why are you here? Teaching us?" Alice asked, looking at Harry wondrously.

"Like I said, I needed to get away."

"From what?"

"Stuff."

"Hmm…"

They sat in silence for a while. "So, what about you? What can _you_ do?" Harry asked.

"Besides kill you?"

"Yes, Edward. Besides kill me, what can you do?"

"We have oversensitive senses. We can hear and smell acutely. We are remarkably strong and fast. We're immortal. We –"

Harry sputtered. "Immortal?" he squeaked.

"Oh, aren't you?" Esme asked.

"Thank goodness, no!" Harry said. "Wait, how old are you?"

"Carlisle's the oldest, about three hundred years old."

Harry laughed incredulously. "To your credit, you don't look a day older than thirty," he said, shaking his head.

"Thank you."

"Okay, what else? Jasper can change the mood. What can you guys do?"

"I can read minds, Alice can see the future, Carlisle has the gift of compassion, Esme has the capacity to love without inhibition, Rosalie has the beauty and Emmett has brute strength."

Harry processed all this information slowly. He slumped against the couch. "Vegetarian vampires. Unheard of," he muttered, downing his water.

-x-


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N:** Oh snap! Yes, I went there. And now there's no turning back :D

-x-

"Can we trust you to keep this night between us?" Carlisle asked as Harry slipped on his shoes.

"Of course," Harry said.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter," Carlisle said, holding out his hand.

"It's Harry," Harry said, meeting his hand and then flinching when the magic rushed in him.

"Yes, it is quite a strange effect, isn't it?" Carlisle mused, hardly twitching himself.

"Y – Yes, it is," Harry said. "Er – Goodnight… Or not," he stumbled over his words.

"Goodnight, Harry," Esme said as she suddenly joined Carlisle at the doorstep.

Harry smiled faintly and walked to his car, as if he were in a dream. He didn't know why he was so surprised. After all he had seen, he should have taken this vampire coven in stride. He let the cold, humid breeze work its way into his head, clearing it. He was about to open the door when Edward appeared beside him. He jumped slightly but composed himself quickly enough.

"So, how'd you like dinner?" Edward asked smoothly.

"Interesting," Harry replied, looking at Edward out of the corner of his eye.

"My family _is_ amazing, right?"

"One way of putting it, I suppose," Harry said, smiling slightly.

"Good," Edward said, then silence reigned. Harry shuffled uncomfortably, wondering is Edward had something to say. He looked up at the young vampire, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"I'll see you in school, Edward," he said.

"Yes. And Esme wanted you to know that you are welcome at our house anytime," Edward replied softly.

"Tell her thanks for the open invitation."

"She heard you."

"Oh, right."

Edward opened the door to Harry's car, sidestepping to let him in. Harry quickly got in and moved to close the door, but Edward still had a hold of it. He looked up at Edward's curious smile.

"There's something about you, Mr. Potter…" he said, more to himself than to Harry.

"There's always something about me, Edward," Harry said, tugging at the door to drop a hint. Edward caught on and gently closed the door in front of him. Harry quickly started his car and reversed out of the driveway. He was couple of miles away from the Cullen house before he groaned and thumped his head against the headrest.

He got home in record time and quickly Floo'd his head to Seashell Cottage.

"Hermione!"

"Oh, thank goodness!" she replied. It seemed like she had been waiting for him for quite a while. She was in her pale blue drawing room, wringing her hands and arranging the eclectic décor in various positions.

"Yes, yes, I'm alive. But I'm in more trouble now than before."

"What did you _do_?"

"What _didn't_ I do would be a better question…"

"You figured out what they are?"

"Yes, vampires."

Hermione's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "B – But how – why – but you're alive!"

"They call themselves vegetarians. They don't drink human blood, only animal. Have you heard of their kind? Superhuman strength and speed. Acute sense of smell and sound. Immortal. No need for sleep. _No_ aversion to garlic. _No_ fangs. Golden eyes. Marble skin. Each have their own unique gift. Like, Alice can see the future, Edward can read minds, stuff like that. I mean, these are vampires like I've never seen them."

"_You stay away, Harry_! I'm going to find you a new place. Somewhere _normal_, like we'd discussed."

"Normal things don't like me," Harry mumbled. "Besides, it's not so bad. I mean, now I have someone to talk to in town. I don't have to lie through my teeth about _everything_." _Crap, wrong thing to say_, Harry thought as Hermione's face went from red to white.

"You – told – them?" she asked in a calm, calculated tone.

"I – He was getting in my _head_. I threatened to – hex him."

The explosion that followed seemed to rock the cottage. Harry flinched at Hermione's yelling and dressing-down. She called him an insensible schmuk and attention seeker. She threatened to drag Harry out of Forks and back to Surrey. She tried to hex him through the fire, and thankfully was unsuccessful. Her rage rampage gave Harry quite a fright.

"Hermione, _please!_ This is my life. At least for once, let me live it under my own rules and conditions," he said.

"Harry Potter, don't you dare guilt me into letting you stay!"

"At least let me stay a month!"

Hermione fumed on the rug, glaring murderously at Harry. "You _will_ call me every night, no exceptions."

"Yes, yes," Harry nodded eagerly.

"If they do _anything _to you, Ron and I will hunt them down and curse them to oblivion, understood?"

"Yes."

"Harry, the trouble you get into," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"Yes," Harry sighed.

-x-

The week passed abysmally. Weather was getting worse as the cold winds rushed in from the mountains. Harry often woke up to frost of his windows and on his car. Most days ran into each other, with no sunshine to specify what was morning and what was evening. It would have been a very monotonous way of life if it weren't for the Cullens. Harry never had a moment of peace when his three students were around. They were always hanging about him, chatting with him mindlessly or staring at him inquisitively. It didn't help that every time Edward came close, Harry's heart would start thumping erratically. He knew the young vampire could hear it loud and clear, and this thought caused his heart to thump even louder. He hoped Edward didn't know the reason Harry's heart fluttered. He didn't show any of his pent up emotions on his face. Edward had a perpetual air of frustration around him which, Harry assumed, was because he couldn't read Harry's thoughts. For this, Harry was thankful for.

Third week in Forks, and it was already the end of September. Harry woke up after a long and peaceful sleep to snow. He made a noise of exasperation before getting up out of bed. He jumped right back in when his feet touched the ice-cold floor. He _Accio_'d his slippers, warming them and then putting them on. _Better get used to this_.

Harry shuffled through his daily routine, warming the house quickly so he wouldn't be shivering the entire morning. He grabbed his apple and coffee before setting out to his car. The door was frozen shut. He cracked it open with a forceful pull and climbed in, away from the falling flakes. His breath condensed around him as he turned the BMW on. After placing anti-slip charms on his car, he set off to school. The roads were covered with mild slush and ice. It took Harry longer to get to school than he'd anticipated. By the time he parked in his spot, bundled students were already entering the school, clutching mugs of hot chocolate and wearing scarves around their necks. Harry grabbed his breakfast and balanced them in one hand while swinging his bag onto his shoulder.

"Crap," he muttered as the apple fell from his overloaded hand. He quickly reached for it with his Seeker training. His hand contacted with the apple and Edward. He jumped back, as did the vampire and the apple ended up on the soft snow. Harry looked up in exasperation.

"That was a perfectly good apple," he grumbled. Edward smirked and bent down to pick it up.

"It still is. Nice reflexes," the bronze haired boy said, placing the apple firmly in Harry's hand.

"Hmm…" Harry replied, locking his car and trudging along the wet parking lot.

He got a few cars past his own when a flurry of movement caught his eye. He turned around and saw Edward's terrified face staring at a large pickup that was swerving across the lot. Harry saw the driver's face looking equally terrified as he tried to control the squealing tires. A moment later, Harry realized the large car was speeding towards him.

"Fuck," he muttered, pulling out his wand discretely. He was backed up against a car now. He knew he wasn't supposed to do magic in front of Muggles, but when it came to a matter of horrific maiming or staying alive, Harry chose the latter. Before he could Apparate, he felt Edward's hand wrenching at him. Harry sighed and Apparated with him. They landed a few feet away from the wreck that could have quite possibly flattened Harry and Edward.

Harry looked down and noticed that he had his arm around Edward's waist. He was mere inches away from Edward's marble face. The snowflakes fell lightly on his long lashes and his hair was mussed more than usual. It felt so natural to be holding him like that. Harry felt the flutter of magic inside him, growing steadily. He quickly let go, scrambling away. Edward looked at him, his angelic face slightly confused at what had just happened. He looked from the wrecked cars to Harry and back.

"How did you do that?" he asked, more interested than terrified.

"Er –" Harry quickly stowed away his wand.

"I mean, I was so sure you were going to get crushed," Edward continued.

"Self-preservation," Harry mumbled, watching as a large crowd formed around the pickup truck and it's unfortunate adversary, a yellow Ferrari.

Edward chuckled suddenly. "Rosalie is _not_ going to be happy about that," he said quietly.

"That's _her_ car?" Harry asked, smiling despite himself.

The driver of the pickup had just stumbled out; his eyes glazed over and blood trickling down his head. Harry quickly walked over to him, assessing his injuries. The boy stared at Harry with wide eyes, his mouth gaping.

"But – you – I thought that – How are you not –"

"You've just got a mild concussion. We'll see to that nasty cut," Harry said calmly, easily sidestepping the boy's frantic stammer. Harry noticed the Cullens were standing as far away from the crash site as possible, watching every move. He supposed that blood wasn't the best thing they should be near. The ambulance was there in a matter of minutes and the paramedics stowed the shocked driver away, rushing to the Forks hospital.

The bell for first period had rung a few minutes ago and reassuring teachers soon ushered the worried students in.

"We need to talk," Edward said quietly, walking in step with Harry.

"Nothing to talk about," Harry muttered, stepping inside the warm lobby.

"We'll see," Edward replied slyly, walking to his first class. Harry shivered himself warm as he walked down the now emptying and very wet hallway. _Fuck, the Ministry!_ Harry wondered when he'd be getting that owl, reprimanding him for his course of actions. Or maybe he wouldn't, considering he was the Boy-Who-Lived and all. He groaned quietly and shook his hair dry. He walked into his classroom, staring glumly at the frozen trees. _I never have it easy_.

-x-

True to his word, Edward caught Harry before he could go home for the evening. He was leaning on the hood of Harry's car. Harry rolled his eyes at the persistent student.

"What?" he asked.

"That talk," Edward reminded him.

"I thought I told you there's really nothing to talk about," Harry said, unlocking his car.

Edward looked over Harry's shoulder for a couple of seconds before shifting his gaze to Harry. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Saving my life," Edward said, winking.

Harry snorted in derisive amusement. "Like you needed saving."

"Well, that's what most people would say if you pulled them out of a car wreck, so I thought it was appropriate for today," Edward said, his sharp eyes glinting with amusement.

"Ah, yes. Well, in that case, you're welcome," Harry said.

"How did you do it?" Edward asked, boring down on Harry with his smothering gaze.

Harry's stomach flipped as he stared back at Edward, his mind jumbling. He couldn't think straight with this young man looking at him like that. He opened his car door abruptly, getting in. Edward followed Harry with his eyes, frowning slightly.

"It's magic," Harry replied to his question, winking as he started the car and sped off.

-x-

The month passed with no other real occasion for distress. Harry had been hinting at Hermione to let him stay at Forks. He'd tried to impress upon her all the good things the Cullens did for the town. She suspicions were lessening but she still had trepidations. Harry tried one last ruse.

"Do you guys want to come and visit?"

Hermione's face brightened. She and Ron had missed Harry dearly over the past month. This invitation was all she needed to hear.

"Of course! When?"

"Weekend, preferably."

"Saturday works?" she asked, her eyes shining with excitement.

Harry laughed. "Yes, that works," he said.

Saturday arrived and sure enough, Ron and Hermione were at his door at nine. Harry opened the door with a grin, enveloping his best friends in a big hug.

"How _are _you guys?" he asked, pulling them into his house, away from the chilly winds.

"Nasty weather," Ron grumbled, brushing the snow off of his red hair.

"We're great, Harry, now that we are here! You look wonderful!" Hermione said, noticing Harry's healthy glow.

"Finally got some sleep," Harry said, chuckling. He walked them to his comfortable living room, lighting a fire and handing out mugs of hot cocoa. They sat on the couches, talking about their lives from the past month. Ron rambled on and on about his Ministry job and how utterly boring it was. Hermione rolled her eyes at his complaining. Harry remarked about his enjoyable position in the school. The topic soon turned to the Cullens, unsurprisingly. Both Ron and Hermione were shooting questions at Harry rapidly, not giving him time to think about the answers.

"Why don't you guys meet them?" Harry asked, tired of the interrogation.

"Wh – we couldn't possibly," Hermione said, leaning back. But her voice had a hint of hope in it.

"Sure you could. Esme has given me an open invitation. I'll call them right now," Harry said, getting up to grab his phone.

"Tonight?" Ron squeaked.

"Yeah, might as well," Harry said, smiling inwardly at Ron's unease. He found the piece of paper Edward had handed him at the store. He punched in the numbers, waiting for the phone to ring.

"Hello?" Jasper's faint voice answered.

"Hi, Jasper. It's Harry. Could you put Esme on?"

"Sure." A second later, Esme's happy voice sounded over the phone.

"Harry! I am so glad you called!" she said enthusiastically.

"Hi, Esme. So sorry to bother you. It's just that, a couple of my friends are here from England and I was wondering whether we could come over for dinner. That's not too forward is it?" Harry asked, knowing without a shred of doubt that Esme would think not.

"Of course not! We'd be so happy to meet your friends! Is seven a good time?"

Harry smiled at Hermione, nodding at her. "Yes, seven is perfect. See you then." He hung up and smirked at Hermione. "There, happy?"

Hermione smiled smugly. "Very."

Ron was left sputtering in disbelief at the turn of events.

-x-

"Wow! Look at this place!" Ron gushed, staring at the frost covered house. "How rich are these blokes?"

"Considering Carlisle's been alive for three hundred years, I'm guessing very," Harry said, helping Hermione out of the car.

The front door opened abruptly and Edward stood in the doorway, looking delectable. He was smiling softly, his shimmering hair framing his face and his fitted beige clothes showing off his lean body. Harry stilled his heart. He nodded at Hermione and Ron to follow him in.

"Mr. Potter," Edward said, tilting his head as a greeting.

"Edward," Harry replied. "These are my friends, Ron and Hermione Weasley. They just arrived today and they were dying to meet you and your family."

"Wonderful," Edward said, smiling kindly at the couple. He walked them in, helping them out of their winter clothes. The entire Cullen coven was standing in the main foyer, looking perfect as always.

Harry quickly finished his introductions, noting the impressed looks on Hermione and Ron's face. For a group of vampires, the Cullens were remarkably well tamed. Alice lightly stepped up, gazing gloriously at the two Weasleys.

"You're married? How marvelous!" she said, sighing. "You're wizards too, right?"

Ron's lips twitched at the uninhibited question. Hermione cocked her eyebrow at Harry before answering. "_He's_ a wizard, _I'm_ a witch," she said.

"Oh, of course! It's funny, Edward, I can see their future quite fine. Can you read them?" she said, looking past the couple at Edward.

"Hmm…" Edward replied thoughtfully, shaking his head.

Harry frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked Alice.

"I was just wondering whether all wizards and witches had the same effect on us or not. Apparently not. How _do_ you evade Edward's power?" she asked.

"Er… We block our minds," Ron replied.

"Oh, I see. It's just that, I can see their future quite clearly, Mr. Potter, but yours…" she trailed off, staring at Harry.

Harry shifted his weight uncomfortably as the group turned to look at him.

"What about his?" Hermione asked, worry in her voice.

"Oh, no need for alarm, he's not going to die," Alice said casually. Harry gaped at the way she said it, so candid. Edward chuckled at Harry's expression.

"She means that if you were about to die, she wouldn't be able to see anything. But with you, she sees too much. It's too erratic," he explained.

"That's Harry, always spontaneous," Ron grumbled.

"Are we just going to stand around all night?" Rosalie interrupted, flicking her soft hands over her pale blond hair.

Carlisle smiled warmly. "Where are my manners? Please, come in to the living room," he said, walking fluidly past them. They were seated and talking amicably within five minutes, much to Harry's pleasure. He had a feeling Hermione would be changing her mind about vampires that night. He was glad. The town was starting to grow on him. He'd rather not move if he could help it.

Dinner was – strange. The Cullens didn't eat, since their beverage of choice was blood. So it was just Harry, Ron and Hermione enjoying the delicious linguine and prawns. Esme had a way with food, it seemed. Even though she couldn't taste it, she knew how to make it absolutely mouthwatering. Ron had adoring eyes for the woman by then, considering his heart was mostly in his stomach. The chatter revolved around general things like how a wizard went through a day in the wizarding world or how a vampire was able to stave off of attacking humans. Edward was the first to break through the impersonal barrier.

"So, Mr. Potter," he said, staring at Harry from across the table. Harry quickly swallowed his food, feeling his throat clog up. He nodded at Edward to continue.

"You still haven't told us why you're here. Why are you away from your friends?" he asked.

Hermione watched Harry, wondering how he was planning on responding. She also noticed how uncomfortable Harry was getting under Edward's gaze. She decided it would be best if she answered for him.

"He needed a change," she said, sipping on her wine.

"From what?" Edward asked, still looking at Harry.

"From the magic, I suppose," Hermione answered unconsciously. She looked up at Harry when she realized what she had said, her face coloring slightly.

Rosalie snorted in a most ladylike fashion. "Sounds like he's hiding," she muttered. Emmett growled at her.

"Are you?" Jasper asked, instantly inquisitive.

Harry stammered at being put on the spot. "I – er… You could say that," he said, pushing his dinner around his plate. He'd just lost his appetite.

Edward sensed his discomfort and immediately moved to change the topic. To something worse. "Where'd you get that scar from?" he asked, looking pointedly at Harry's hidden forehead.

Esme looked horrified at her son. "Edward! Manners!"

Edward shrugged innocently. Harry was now fidgeting with his shirt, not meeting Edward's eye.

"Oh, he was a baby when he – ow!" Ron yelped as Hermione kicked his shin. "Oh, right. Er… Harry should – I mean," he quickly stuffed his mouth with more pasta.

"Oh, it happened when you were little? It is a very peculiar scar though, isn't it?" Carlisle said, placing his chin on the palm of his hand as he looked placidly at Harry.

"Yes, it is very peculiar," Harry replied, flattening his hair over it. Esme looked at him apologetically.

"So sorry for the prying questions. It's been a while since we've had guests over," she said, smiling slightly.

"That's alright," Hermione said for Harry. Esme managed to steer the conversation away from Harry for the rest of the night, engaging Ron and Hermione. Harry was glad for Esme's motherly instincts.

The evening was over quickly. Harry, Ron and Hermione soon found themselves back in the lobby, saying goodbyes and thanks. Esme hugged all of them warmly, extending her invitation to the Weasleys as well. They silently got in the car, lost in their thoughts as Harry pulled away from the house.

They were driving down the highway when the silence shattered. "Bloody hell, _those_ couldn't possibly have been _vampires_!" Ron remarked. Harry and Hermione laughed heartily.

-x-


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N:** Just came up with the craziest and shittiest idea ever and I'm going to act on it. Please refrain from throwing rotten vegetables at me. Thank you.

-x-

October came and went. The snow was now lying thickly on the ground and the school was rattling with the sound of old heaters turned on to full force. Lunchtime often consisted of wet snowball fights that Harry stayed away from. The days were getting shorter and the nights were getting chillier. The town was inside on most days, staying clear away from the frequent flurries and wet rain showers.

Harry was shuffling through the snow one evening after school. Knowing his luck, it wasn't surprising when his foot caught a slick patch of ice. He swiveled his arms to balance, which only led to him leaning backwards and slipping some more. His curse loudly as his foot lifted off the ground. A moment later he found himself on the snow, staring up at the pale pink sky.

"Ow," he said, feeling the goose egg on his head. Edward's musical laugh sounded behind him. He frowned but didn't deign to get up as he lay there on the wet ground. He heard Edward's soft steps squelching over. He scowled at the vampire's grinning face.

"Not funny," he said, pushing himself up on his elbows. "That freakin' hurts," he groaned, rubbing his head. Edward knelt down beside Harry, sitting on his knees.

"I'm sure you can fix it," he said, gently bringing his hand up to touch the back of Harry's head. Harry jerked away unconsciously, pulling himself up off his elbows.

"Yeah," he mumbled, trying to get up without falling on his face. Edward wrapped his arm around Harry's waist, bringing him up in a standing position easily. Harry felt lightheaded at this touch and his stomach churned with magic. He looked at Edward blearily, knowing he should walk away right now.

He shifted in Edward's arm, moving to unlatch himself, when he slipped again.

"Fuck," he swore, clutching Edward's jacket for support. Edward's rumbling laugh vibrated against Harry's hand.

"I'll walk you to a spot with less ice," the beautiful man said, smiling at the snow in front of him. He dragged Harry down the path, tightening his hold whenever Harry slipped. Harry vaguely marveled at Edward's light touch and his perpetual smile. Harry's head was filling with a heady rush as the magic swirled in him, reacting to Edward's ancient power. He didn't notice when Edward stopped in front of his car and looked at him expectantly. The vampire shifted under Harry's gaze, clearing his throat. That snapped Harry out of his trance. He quickly let go of Edward's jacket. Edward gently unwound his arm from Harry's hip.

"Right, er… Thanks, Edward," he said, unlocking his car. He quickly got in and was about to slam the door shut, but Edward stopped him.

"Yeah, don't mention it," Edward said vaguely, looking like he wanted to say more. After a second, he thought the better of it and let go of the door. Harry quickly closed it and started the car, wanting to get as far away from Edward as possible while wanting to kiss him senseless at the same time.

Harry often had these close encounters with Edward. He was frustrated with himself for having such feelings for his student. Harry was always prone to obsession. He had been obsessed with Voldemort. He was obsessed with Quidditch. He was obsessed with chocolate. Now he was obsessed with Edward. He latched onto every word that left Edward's perfect, chiseled lips. He shivered whenever they touched accidentally. He was even starting to dream about the young vampire. This was one obsession that wasn't going to end well.

Days ran into weeks, which ran into months. Before he knew it, Harry was already preparing midterms for his students. His classes were doing well, due to the lazy curriculum they followed. Harry was very partial to hands on work, since that's how he'd learnt at Hogwarts. The students appreciated the countless demos and labs that Harry had prepared for them over the course of five months. Most of the students had only praising words for the new Biology teacher, although Harry suspected most of it had to do with his accent.

Harry was waiting for the twelfth years to walk in during a particularly rainy and warm February day. The heaters had yet to be turned off. He had shrugged off his jacket and had to open windows to let in some of the cold breeze from outside. The class straggled in, most of them drowsy from the heat. Harry chuckled at the quiet room that would usually have been enveloped in loud chatter.

"Everyone to the back. Lab today," he announced. The students quickly snagged seats on the benches, pulling out their books. He handed out the worksheet that outlined their project. The students were already playing around with the microscope when the door to his classroom opened.

Harry turned to look at a nervous petite, pale brunette. She had her backpack slung over her shoulder carelessly and she was twisting a long strand of hair with her fingers. Harry smiled at her, beckoning her to come in. She stumbled forward, handing him a slip of paper.

"Isabella Swan. New student?"

"It's just Bella," the girl replied, smiling half-heartedly.

"Just Bella," Harry grinned at the timid girl. "We're starting on a new unit today. So you won't have much to catch up on today. Just grab a chair at the bench and you can get started," he said, handing her a worksheet.

Bella nodded mutely, searching the room for an empty stool. She caught sight of one beside the stiff beautiful boy in the corner of the room. She quickly shuffled towards him, dropping her bag heavily on the floor and sliding onto her seat.

Harry was about to get back to his table when he heard a sharp tug in his mind. He turned around to glare at Edward. He froze when he noticed that the boy's face had contorted to a mask of agony. His fists were clenched under the lab bench and his eyes were squeezed shut. Harry tentatively opened a small section of his mind.

_You okay?_

Edward promptly shook his head. Harry bit his lip nervously. He cleared his throat. "Mr. Cullen, could I see you for a minute?"

Edward immediately got up from his seat and rushed towards Harry's desk. "What is it?" Harry asked quietly.

"Her," Edward breathed, jerking his head back.

"The new girl? Bella? What about her?"

"I feel like I'm losing control," he groaned, clutching Harry's desk with white fingers.

Harry's eyes widened. He'd never seen Edward so emotional before. He was always so calm and collected when he was around Harry. This time, he was raw and Harry felt the old magic rushing into him as Edward struggled to control his thirst.

"Would you like to be excused?" he asked.

Edward nodded jerkily. "Thanks," he whispered, quickly leaving the room. Jasper and Alice stared after him, their concern plain on their face. They'd heard the conversation and were now glancing surreptitiously at the new student, who was hiding behind a curtain of soft hair.

The Cullens were suspiciously absent the next few days. Harry knew that Bella had something to do with it, but he didn't know what. To him, she seemed like an introverted, pretty girl who seemed to have garnered the attention of almost all the males in the school. It looked like unwanted attention too since she was often shuffling around uncomfortably whenever a boy looked at her with fondness. Harry decided to wait patiently for Edward to show up to class before pouncing on him with questions.

It was a week before Edward, Alice, and Jasper returned. Harry was glad to see that they looked more or less normal. This time, Edward didn't seem to have a problem with sitting next to Bella. Harry _did_ notice that he was still stiff and controlled when he interacted with her, but at least he wasn't in pain. The class ended without any mishap. The students were happily walking out of the classroom when Harry noticed Edward struggling with himself. Bella had just walked by him nonchalantly and Harry saw Edward whipping his head after her, his eyebrows furrowing. He took a few shaky steps towards her, but stopped abruptly, shaking his head vehemently. Harry watched this with fascination.

"Mr. Cullen, a word?" Harry said, snapping Edward out of his daze.

"Y – yes, Mr. Potter," he said with relief, walking away from the door and towards Harry's desk.

Harry waited for the last of his students to leave before looking at Edward questioningly. "What was that all about?"

Edward groaned as he elegantly dropped onto the nearby chair. "Her scent is too much," he muttered.

"Okay, elaborate?"

"Whenever I'm near her, my thirst just overwhelms me. I don't know – it's so hard to explain…"

"Can we do anything about this?"

"I don't know. Carlisle said all I'd need to learn to control it. Get used to her scent and control myself every time I'm near her. It's so tiring."

Harry felt a twinge of sadness in him when he saw Edward's crestfallen face. "You did _very_ well today," he said encouragingly.

"That would be because I only fed yesterday. I'm too full. What's going to happen in three days time, when I'm not so satiated?"

"Well, just take it one day at a time then," Harry said.

"That's the plan," Edward replied, finally looking up at Harry. Harry's breath hitched at the dull eyes and defeated mouth. He longed to hold Edward, to comfort him. He held back, wrenching his eyes away from Edward's and getting up to pack his bag.

"You just need something that'll take your mind off of her, that's all," Harry said, studiously packing his things and wrenching on his jacket.

"Funny, that's what Esme said," Edward mused to himself.

"Well, what can I say, great minds think – alike…" Harry stumbled backwards as Edward suddenly blurred and stood inches from him. "I – um…" Harry's mind went blank as he tried to reason with the situation. Edward took a step forward, tilting his head and looking at Harry strangely. Harry took a step back instinctively, bumping into the blackboard.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice cracking as he felt magic coursing through him at Edward's proximity.

"I'm taking my mind off of her," Edward said, inching forward.

Harry's heart thumped loudly and his legs wavered at Edward's smothering gaze. "I don't think so," Harry said firmly, reaching to grab his wand. Edward easily countered him by grabbing Harry's arm and pushing it against the wall. Harry shivered at the cold that seeped in through his jacket, looking fearfully at the steady vampire. He struggled against Edward's grasp but couldn't shake off the marble vice. He took a shaky breath, staring fiercely in Edward's golden eyes.

"Let go," he hissed. He wound his hand back to throw a punch, but Edward caught his other wrist too, pinning it up on the blackboard with his cold fingers. Harry vehemently kicked Edward's shin, groaning when his foot contacted with stone. He knew he was fighting a losing battle. He _wanted_ to lose. The thought terrified him.

Edward leaned in slightly, staring into Harry's deep green eyes. He ran his eyes down Harry's smooth nose to his slightly parted lips and down to his defined chin. Harry squeezed his eyes shut when the vampire softly kissed his jaw line. His stomach ached with pleasure at the fleeting touch, making him tremble slightly. Harry gasped when Edward molded his body against Harry's. Edward ran his chilled lips up and down Harry's jaw enticingly, breathing into him. Harry titled his head to the side, letting Edward gain more access. Edward moved against him endearingly, drawing out a moan. His lips never ceased, etching a path along the side of Harry's face. The warmth spread from his stomach to the rest of him. He opened his eyes and looked down at Edward's profile as it moved. He looked blissful. His eyes were half-closed as he worked his way up to Harry's cheek. Harry breathed heavily as Edward hardened his kisses, growing insistent. It all felt better than he'd dreamed, it felt too good to be true. It felt so real.

Harry groaned as realization came over him of what he was doing. With a _student_, no less. He renewed his protests, trying to push Edward away with his body. Edward stilled over Harry's cheek when he felt Harry's aggression. He moved his head away, searching Harry's eyes.

_Please, stop…_

Edward let go of Harry's wrists, stepping away easily. Harry closed his eyes, steadying his breath as he stumbled forward, holding onto his chair for support. His body was shivering as the coldness of Edward finally caught up to it.

"That will _not_ happen _ever_ again, do you understand?" Harry muttered harshly, his eyes still squeezed shut. When he didn't hear a response, Harry shot his head up, glaring at the unruffled vampire with uninhibited fury. He couldn't believe he'd been caught unaware. He felt repulsion growing in him when he realized that he wanted more. He growled furiously before snapping out his wand and aiming it at Edward.

"Find someone else to distract you. Leave me the fuck out of this," he said, taking long calming breaths. Hurt flickered through Edward's eyes, but it was gone before Harry could identify it. Harry lowered his wand slowly, pursing his lips.

"I – sorry," Edward muttered, staring at Harry's desk. "I –" He quickly turned around and sped out of the room, leaving Harry to stare at the spot where he'd been standing.

Harry sat down heavily, raking his fingers through his hair in frustration. He'd known nothing good would come of this. He placed his hands on his face and groaned loudly into them, kicking at his desk furiously.

-x-


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N:**I _did_ warn you that this story was about to get seriously fucked up for Harry…

-x-

The rest of the week passed very awkwardly for Harry. He tried as hard as he could to ignore Edward's steady gaze and Alice's twisted smile. Of course Alice knew. _She's that annoying omnipresent angel that's always around, rubbing your face in all the shit things you do._ At least Edward had stopped walking Harry to his car. He felt slightly relieved at not having to be in the vampire's company without supervision. Edward didn't bring it up and so Harry didn't bother either. Alice, on the other hand –

"So, did you like it?"

"Are you planning on going out sometime? He likes movies."

"I really wish I could see your future."

"You should talk. He's been moping around _all week_."

"I'd like a wizard in the family."

Harry sputtered. "_What_? What are you even talking about? In the family? I don't even – ugh!" The conversation was too much for Harry, so he did the best he could. He ran away. That's all he did when Alice was around – escape her pressing questions.

Harry knew why he _shouldn't_ kiss Edward. There were many reasons. Edward was his student, he was a hundred-year-old vampire, Harry wanted more than just a kiss and he said he needed Harry to be a distraction. Harry also knew why he _wanted_ to kiss Edward. There were many reasons. Edward's perfect eyes, his perfect smile, his perfect gait, his perfect laugh, his perfect demeanor, and not to mention the fact that he had been the one to take the first step, all factored in. It had been a very distracting week for Harry, and it only went downhill from there. It went downhill _very_ rapidly.

At first it seemed friendly. Edward would smile nonchalantly at Bella, who would then become a mumbling mess. He would talk to her about notes and labs and she would listen rapturously, evidently quite taken by the charms of the young man. He would look at her through his thick, long lashes, causing her to stumble off of her seat. Harry felt his breath hitch every time he saw the subtle flirtatious behavior of both parties. Edward had yet to master control. If Bella sat too close, Harry noticed him flinching away. If Bella turned to him and laughed, Harry saw him blinking blankly before following her suit. But Harry also noticed that Edward was starting to notice him less and Bella more. He took it in stride the first week, knowing Edward was just learning to adjust with Bella's presence. But as another week passed, Harry started to feel the first twinge of envy in him. Edward and Bella got along so easily. Both of them were the brooding types who were easily lost in their thoughts. They were sneaking glances at each other during class. Edward even walked her to her car. Harry pushed the jealousy out of his mind. Edward wasn't his. _So why am I so possessive?_ Harry sighed at the thought. _Because I'm one sick fuck…_

Some days, Harry's heart would lift at the sight of Bella ignoring Edward. But then his heart would drop the next day, when they seemed closer than ever. He was quite confused at the dynamic relationship between the two. Even Edward seemed flustered when Bella started ignoring him. Edward and flustered wasn't a common combination. He would follow her around like a lamb, trying to console her or make amends. Harry's envy was growing steadily. Edward _never_ tried this hard with Harry.

Weeks passed and Harry was getting grouchier by the day. The classes were starting to notice his snappy behavior. They noticed his sarcasm increasing tenfold. They noticed his assignments getting harder to complete. Everyone noticed the changes in Harry except Edward. Now Edward only had eyes for Bella. He worshipped her like none other. _Of course I was just a distraction._ Edward could control himself from drinking Bella, but that didn't mean he could control himself from being fond of her.

Harry felt like he was socked in the gut when he got out of his car in the parking lot one day and saw Edward protectively wrapping his arm around Bella's shoulder. Harry's window of opportunity seemed to have slammed onto his fingers, crushing them painfully. He knew he was being unreasonable. He didn't even know what he wanted. He just knew he didn't want Edward to be with Bella – whom Edward was now kissing softly. Harry wrenched his eyes away, calming his heart and quelling his nausea. When had he fallen madly in love with Edward?

-x-

Harry was flipping through some cheap novellas in the bookstore. When all else fails, there was always a release for him – stories with happy endings. Harry knew he was being a little girl about the Edward Bella situation. He knew he could _easily_ cope with heartbreak. He had coped with Sirius' death. He had coped with pain inflicted by Voldemort. And he could cope with unrequited love. He shuddered at the awfully melodramatic thoughts he was having. He wasn't the first person to be in this situation. Just look at the book he was holding. The poor hero, Robert, was wallowing in his castle after his sweetheart, Emily, broke his heart – not once, but twice. _Just stab that bitch already_. Harry sighed as he replaced the book on the shelf.

"Hey."

Harry's stomach plunged when he heard Edward's calm voice beside him. He saw Edward's pale hand reaching up to take out the book Harry had been holding. He heard Edward quietly flipping through it. He felt Edward's breath when he chuckled into Harry's neck. But he couldn't bring himself to look at Edward.

"Besides the raunchy material filling the book, it is quite sad, isn't it?" Edward asked, reshelving the novel.

Harry nodded stiffly, trying to be civilized. It was hard to keep the demeanor when all he wanted to do was punch Edward in the face and then ravish him. He moved to walk away but let out a yelp when Edward stopped him by grabbing his hand. He turned to look at Edward furiously and tried to wrench his hand away. The cool marble touch was causing him to shiver again.

"What?" Harry asked in as calm a voice as he could.

"Nothing," Edward said, searching Harry's eyes.

"Well, then let go," Harry whispered, trying to wring his hand out of Edward's.

Edward pulled him closer. "You really don't want me to, do you?"

_No_. "Yes! Let go!"

Edward smiled slightly at the answers. He cupped Harry's cheek with his slender hand, bringing up Harry's face. In a flash, he was pushed back with a strong force. Harry was staring at him murderously, his wand out.

"I _thought_ I told you to find someone else to distract you," Harry said, tight lipped and flushed.

Edward moved to walk closer but was stopped by an invisible wall. He frowned slightly as he ran his hand over it, feeling the magic crackling under his fingers. Harry was protecting himself.

"What the _fuck_ is your problem? Bella's not enough?" Harry spat out, holding his _Protego_ charm strong.

Edward blinked at Harry, his black eyes glazing over. After a moment, his eyes sharpened. "No, she isn't," he said.

Harry's charm faltered. Edward easily stepped inside the shield as he felt the magic collapsing. He closed the distance in a flash and captured Harry's tensed lips against his compelling ones. Harry's heart skipped a beat and his body seemed to melt around him. The marble hand was once again upon Harry's cheek, pressing it gently. Hard lips were fitting themselves into place. Edward was kissing him. _Edward's kissing me?_

Edward felt another sharp force pushing him, this time throwing him vehemently to the ground.

"You. Stay away," Harry hissed, replacing his wand and swiftly walking out. Once Harry was in his car he let out an angered shout, cursing Edward with every fiber in his body. Harry hated being used and Edward was using him like a snake uses its fangs – to poison.

-x-

"You alright?"

Harry jumped with fright at being pulled out of his confused thoughts. His eyes focused and he found himself at the stony beach, shivering against the frigid wind. He blinked. He didn't remember driving. He jumped again when he felt a hand touching his shoulder. Magic flared wildly in him. He whirled around and found himself staring at a red sweatshirt. He gulped when he strained his neck up to find a crooked smile and crinkled eyes looking down at him. He stumbled back at the appearance of the large boy with dark skin and cropped black hair.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he said softly, sheepishly stuffing his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt. He contemplated Harry silently. Perhaps he'd felt the magic too.

Harry didn't deign to say anything, merely contending himself with being awestruck by the sheer size of the boy in front of him. The boy scuffed the stones with his foot. "I – I saw you standing here a half-hour ago and you haven't moved since. I just wanted to – well, I guess you're alright, so I'll – Or maybe I won't – um," he trailed off, staring at the ground.

Harry shook himself out of his daze, confused at the demeanor of the boy. "I – er, yes, I'm fine. Thanks," he said, not believing a word he said. Apparently the boy didn't either. He frowned at Harry's vague response.

"I'm Jacob. You are?"

"Harry."

"Where're you from?"

Harry sighed. The question _everyone_ wanted answered. "Surrey, England."

Jacob laughed. "I can see you're from England. Isn't that a long ways off from here? I meant, where do you live?"

Harry raised his eyebrows slightly. "Er… Forks."

"Oh? I haven't seen you around," Jacob said, surprised.

"I keep to myself," Harry muttered. "Where exactly am I?"

Jacob waved his hand about him in flourish. "LaPush Beach," he said grandly.

"Hmm…" Harry said, looking out into the cold waters. "Way too cold to be out here," he murmured.

"So _why_ are you here?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't know," he said.

"Contemplating the world's problems?"

Harry chuckled darkly. "No, just my own."

"Is that your car?"

Harry turned around to where Jacob was pointing. His car was sitting in the middle of the parking lot, thankfully without a dent in sight. He nodded in ascent. Jacob whistled appreciatively.

"You're loaded, aren't you?"

Harry snorted, thinking about the gold sitting in Gringotts. "Yes, that's one way of putting it," he said sarcastically.

"Mind if I take a look?"

Harry shook his head, taking one last glance at the beach before turning around and walking to his car. He heard heavy footsteps following him, occasionally kicking at pebbles. Harry's mind was filled with dread and distress. He'd never felt so helpless in his life. He shivered when he thought of the impromptu kiss Edward had forced on him. _Fuck Edward_, Harry thought, vehemently kicking at a stone.

"Whoa, no need to take it out on the rock."

Harry smiled wryly at the comment, wrenching his mind away from Edward. He stopped in front of his car, looking at Jacob expectantly. Jacob was grinning with appreciation, his eyes roving over the sleek body and black rims. The two-door sedan glinted deliciously in the filtered sunlight, the sharp angles flashing stylishly. The sunroof ran along the entire length of the car, stopping softly as it reached the trunk. The elegant hood waved towards the body of the car elegantly, streamlining the BMW. Jacob was practically drooling after his quick inspection.

"I thought this was just a concept car! How the heck did you get it? How is it even possible to make it?"

"Money."

Harry pulled out his keys from his pocket, throwing it at Jacob. The boy caught it easily, his eyes widening.

"I don't know how to get out of here. Wanna drive?" Harry asked. He was much too distracted to be trusted with a car.

"You're kidding," Jacob said, reaching out to hand back the keys.

"No, I'm serious. See this face. Serious face."

Jacob chuckled with excitement, staring longingly at the keys. After a moment of hesitation he nodded sharply, loping lightly towards the driver's seat and getting in. Harry slipped into the passenger seat, tiredly dropping his head against the headrest.

"Seatbelt," Jacob said importantly.

"Right," Harry said, pulling his on. Then a thought struck him. "Wait, how old are you?"

Jacob squirmed in his seat. "Seventeen?" he said, apparently questioning himself.

"You aren't sure if you're seventeen?"

"No, no. I'm seventeen," Jacob said firmly.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I live outside the highway. Once we get on it, I'll give you directions," he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Cool," Jacob said, starting the car gently. It purred under him, causing him to giggle happily. "This is unbelievable!" he said, revving the engine. He shifted the car into reverse and backed out slowly, getting a feel of the car under his hands. With a smooth twist, he gunned out of the lot, Harry hanging on for dear life.

"Holy shit, Jacob!"

"I know!"

Harry squeezed his eyes shut as they skidded around the corner of a narrow street. _I'm going to die! In a fiery crash! This is amazing!_ Harry laughed out loud, his heart hammering in his chest. His mind was void of all else but adrenaline. Jacob laughed with him, smoothly switching lanes on the empty road. The car responded to each light touch and Jacob switched through gears rapidly, never lurching. Within a matter of minutes, they were cruising on the straight highway, their pulses shuddering against the excitement.

"If you'd wrecked my car, I was planning on chocking you to death," Harry said breathlessly, watching the green forest flash by rapidly.

"What a waste of perfectly good money if you don't plan on using it right," Jacob retorted, accelerating a touch, nudging the car to do an easy 100 mph.

Harry grinned. "So you go to Forks High School? I've never seen you around. You're kind of hard to miss."

Jacob laughed throatily. "Yes, I _am_ hard to miss, aren't I?" he mused. "No, I go to school at the reservation."

"Reservation?"

"Yeah, Quilete reservation."

"Hmm..."

"When'd you move to Forks?"

"Start of school year."

"What grade?"

"Teacher. Biology."

"You look nothing like a teacher. Most of them at my school are ratty, old people who smell like rotting vegetables."

"I'm glad I don't have to smell like that for a good forty more years."

"True."

They lapsed into silence, both men watching the road intently. A few minutes later, Harry saw familiar territory and started giving directions to Jacob. As they neared Harry's house, Jacob let out another low whistle.

"Nice place! What did you do, inherit a buttload of money?"

"Yeah, it's all inheritance," Harry said, his heart heavy. "My parents made sure I was well off."

"Oh, sorry to bring it up," Jacob said, slowing the BMW to a halt in the driveway.

"It's fine. No big secret and it was a long time ago," Harry said, shrugging as he got out of his car.

Jacob threw the key back at Harry, grinning appreciatively. "Thanks!"

Harry grinned back. "No worries, I needed that heart stopping car ride anyway. Helped me get my mind off stuff," he said.

"I guess I'll see you around then."

"If I find myself in LaPush again, maybe," Harry said vaguely. Jacob walked away after looking one last time at the sports car. Harry shook his head at himself. "How're you getting back?"

"Running," Jacob said, taking off without a moment's notice at top speed.

"Oh…"

-x-

Harry was sitting at his dinner table, correcting worksheets sleepily. So he was completely unprepared for a crash at his door and the tripped Caterwauling charm that rang shrilly through his house. He grabbed his wand and quickly disarmed the piercing whistle, rushing to the main lobby. Rosalie was fuming at his doorstep, flanked closely by Alice and Jasper.

"I tried to stop her," Alice said, holding her hands up in surrender.

"You broke my door!" Harry yelled, looking at the splinted door that was hanging on one hinge.

"You broke his heart!" Rosalie screeched back, launching at Harry. He quickly sidestepped her and cast a shield between them.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, his back pressed against the wall. Rosalie blurred towards Harry but ran smack into the barrier, stunned. Jasper and Alice quickly restrained her and Harry felt Jasper calming the room. He pushed the feeling away and saw Rosalie fighting against it.

"Alice?" Harry asked.

The little vampire rolled her eyes. "Edward's being dramatic over – well, the thing that happened."

Harry gaped at the three vampires, his mouth open. "He's – he's being dramatic? He's being fucking dramatic?" he asked, his voice growing progressively louder. "Why the hell is he being dramatic? He accosted me! I'm his fucking teacher, for fuck's sake!"

"Look, I know!" Alice said. "But he's stubborn… And no one's rejected him before…"

"He's just full of himself," Jasper interjected abruptly. Rosalie growled protectively, glaring at her brother.

"You led him on, Potter," Rosalie hissed. Harry's mind flashed to Draco. He shook himself out of his thoughts, his eyes boring into Rosalie.

"He's with Bella now, why the hell is he bothering me?" he countered.

Rosalie's eyes flickered with confusion before settling back to rage. "Look, I don't know what he's doing with Bella, but he's been –"

"You don't know what he's doing with Bella, and now you want me to go along with whatever he wants to do? Are you fucking serious, Rosalie?" Harry interrupted incredulously.

"I told you," Alice muttered.

"I want you out of _my_ house, _now_," Harry said as he pointed his wand at them.

"We're leaving," Jasper said quickly, noticing that his power wasn't working well with either Harry or Rosalie. He pulled the tall blond out of the lobby with Alice's help, looking apologetically at Harry. Harry fixed his door and slammed it shut in their faces.

_My life has officially been flushed down the toilet_.

-x-

**A/N: **Lolz! Jacob FTW! Still not sure who's going to end up with whom and who's going to die a horrific death. I'll figure it out in the next few chapters. ;D


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N:**Yes, all of your suggestions are taken into consideration, except for the Bella bashing ones. Because I think Bella is adorably innocent. Edward – not so much.

-x-

Inexplicably, Harry found himself in LaPush again the next week. This time he remembered driving to the beach. He was sitting on a washed up, sun bleached log, his legs stretched out and crossed. He slouched forward, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He had a warming charm on his clothes, but that didn't stop his face from flushing as the wind bit at his nose and cheeks sharply. He looked out into the turbulent waters again. It reminded him of the lake at Hogwarts. He remembered the evenings he'd spent at the lakeshore with his friends, studying or talking. _Easily the happiest time of my life_. He thought back to the Triwizard Tournament, when he had to save Ron from the bottom of the lake. His memories swamped with the merpeople and Grindylows he'd met while swimming in it. He snorted with amusement when he remembered Fleur's heavenly face lighting up with happiness as he had dragged Gabrielle out of the freezing water. He sighed despondently when he thought back to his ride on the back of Buckbeak across the same lake. But that lake was in Hogwarts and Harry was in LaPush beach.

He didn't know why he was tormenting himself. He knew he could move far away from Forks at a moment's notice. He kept telling himself that the reason he was still here was because he wanted to finish the school year before abandoning his miserable life in the miserable town. Harry knew that this was not all true. This town had the magic that Harry longed for. He felt it every time one of the Cullens was near him. He even felt it right now. _Wait, what?_ He turned around quickly as he felt the same primitive magic flaring through him. He frowned when all he saw were a bunch of teenagers chatting and laughing with each other around a small fire pit. He scanned the small group, looking for one of the Cullens. But he didn't spot them. _Maybe I'm just going mad_.

He turned back to look at the sun. Finally, the sun was out. Harry couldn't remember seeing the sun in Forks since he'd arrived. It had always been hidden behind ominous clouds. Now the clouds were breaking and Harry let the sun wash over him, warming him up even more.

"You again?" Jacob asked from behind Harry.

Harry squinted up at Jacob's towering body. "Yes, me again," he said.

"At least you came back on a nicer day," Jacob said, stepping over the log and sitting beside Harry. Even when seated, Jacob was a hulking mass of body. His cut off jeans showed off his strengthened calves and his shirt barely stretched over his wide body. Harry felt the rush of magic growing stronger and he shifted uncomfortably, trying to move away without being obvious. He noticed Jacob moving away too, out of the corner of his eye. _Knowing my luck, he's probably a unicorn in disguise._ Harry raked his hand over his hair in frustration.

"Cool scar."

Harry guffawed, looking at Jacob ridiculously. "Yeah, right…"

"It gives you character. Like, 'hey, I'm not just a pretty boy, I'm kind of a bad ass too,' you know?"

Harry was laughing uproariously now, staring at Jacob disbelievingly as he heard the preposterous British accent. "What, a bad ass who fell on his head when he was a kid?"

"Is that what happened?"

Harry raised his eyebrows and sobered up at the thought. "I wish," he muttered.

"Hmm…" Jacob didn't press on.

Both men looked up when they heard Jacob's name being yelled out. One of the men at the fire pit was waving at him enthusiastically. Jacob got up, stretching languidly.

"I've gotta go," he said, stepping over the log. As if it was an after thought, he turned around and smiled crookedly at Harry. "Want to come?"

Harry looked at the crowd down the beach. "No, I won't fit in," Harry said truthfully, watching the group laugh loudly at a joke. They all seemed so close, so friendly. Harry felt a pang of homesickness. "No, you go ahead," he said.

"You're probably right, you won't fit in. Which is why you should come!" Jacob said.

"That doesn't make any sense," Harry mumbled, staring at the horizon.

"New blood," Jacob said mischievously, wiggling his eyebrows when Harry looked at him.

Harry sighed, smiling at Jacob's insistence. "I suppose it won't be any worse than sitting on my own, wallowing in my self-pity, would it?" he said, getting up.

Jacob snickered. "It's going to be much worse," he said, grinning.

"Well, that's just great," Harry remarked, watching the group grow silent as the two of them got closer.

"Hey, guys! Look who I found?" Jacob said happily. Harry waved weakly. "It's Harry!"

"Who's Harry?"

"Him."

"M'kay," the group of ten went back to chattering about the awesome cliff diving they'd done the day before.

Jacob motioned for Harry to sit on the stony sand. Harry complied tentatively, sitting beside a young, merry boy who looked no older than fifteen. Jacob lounged next to Harry, stretching his legs out towards the dancing fire.

"I'm Seth," the boy said, holding out his hand for Harry to shake. Harry took it, but both flinched away when their magic interacted against each other. Seth's smile faltered, his eyes narrowing with confusion. He glanced over Harry's head at Jacob. Whatever Jacob did behind Harry's back formed Seth's smile again.

"That was weird, huh?" Seth grinned, running his long fingers through his mussed, jet-black hair.

"I – yeah," Harry said, smiling half-heartedly. _What the hell?_

"Harry's the Biology teacher at Forks," Jacob said loudly. That stopped all conversation abruptly. Harry bit his lip nervously.

"Jacob… You're friends with – a teacher?" one of the older boys said. The crowd laughed excessively, clapping their hand over their mouth.

Harry looked offended as he watched this. "It's just my first year," he grumbled.

"You're friends with a _British_ school teacher?" another boy chortled, drawing out more laughs. "How old are you, like thirty?"

Harry frowned openly. "What? Do I really look that old?"

Jacob was giggling at Harry's offended expression. "No, but that doesn't mean you aren't," he explained.

Harry huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "For your information, I'm nineteen," he said, scowling.

The laughs died down again. Now the group was looking at one of the older boys, their shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Seth was the first one to break. He clutched his stomach as he laughed in bursts. "He's nineteen! Jared, you're nineteen and still in high school!" he hooted. This caused the dam of laughs to break again, and it was directed at Jared now.

Jacob nudged Harry and winked slyly. "And," he added loudly. "He has the sweetest ride you guys will _never_ see with _that_ attitude."

A few of the boys raised their eyebrows, impressed at Jacob's reaction to Harry's car. One of boy's eyes lit up with awareness. "Holy shit, _no way_ was it that one in the parking lot!"

Jacob grinned widely. "The very same, Quil," he said.

Now the ten boys were looking at Harry in awe. But Jacob wasn't done.

"_And_," he continued. "_I_ –" he pointed at himself with flourish, " – got to drive it." Harry saw their jaws drop. He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him, which was soon joined by Jacob's loud crows.

One of the taller, thinner boys looked back and forth from Harry to Jacob before shaking his head in disbelief. "_You_," he pointed at Harry, "let _him_," he pointed at Jacob, "drive _that_?" he pointed at Harry's car.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Embry."

"Well, I didn't know what I was getting myself into," Harry explained.

"Hey, got you home in one piece, didn't I?" Jacob responded, kicking Harry's shin.

"Barely," Harry muttered.

"Ooh, drove him home," Seth said suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows.

Jacob promptly threw a rock at Seth, catching him in the head. The boys laughed as Seth pouted, rubbing his head. Harry was grinning widely by now, thoroughly enjoying the friendly dynamics among the boys. After a couple more rounds of teasing, the chatter easily turned to cars and bikes. Harry was impressed with Jacob's vast knowledge and ability to turn parts into running machines. He also found that the whole group consisted of adrenaline junkies, as the talks turned to racing and diving. The evening passed quickly with laughs and sly comments. Harry learnt that the friends lived in the reservation and their families were very close. They'd grown up together and had been going to the same school for years. Harry realized that these boys were more brothers than friends. He reveled in the banter, letting his mind drain away of all his worries. He had been laughing the entire duration of his visit, his side in stitches. These boys didn't ask any prying questions and didn't bother to dig into Harry's mind. Harry sighed dejectedly when the sun started to set.

"I should go, Jacob," he said, stretching his stiff back before pulling himself up.

"Yeah, sure," Jacob replied. He got up too, unfolding his long body easily.

"It was great meeting you guys," Harry said, waving at the group. They grinned at him, waving back.

Harry started walking up the beach, followed by Jacob's heavy footsteps. "Oh, you don't have to walk me to my car, Jacob," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not about to pass up an opportunity to look at that beauty up close," Jacob replied, amusement in his voice.

They trudged up to the parking lot silently. Jacob eyed Harry's car reverently, opening his mouth to speak.

"Oh no, you don't," Harry interjected. "I'll drive myself home, thank you very much."

Jacob laughed. "That's not what I was about to say," he said.

"Okay, what _were_ you about to say?"

"I was wondering if you'd tell me who you _really_ are?" Jacob said quietly, turning to look at Harry.

Harry gaped at Jacob. _Was everything so straightforward for him?_ He pursed his lips thoughtfully. Jacob touched Harry's shoulder lightly.

"You _do_ feel that, don't you?" he asked. Harry felt the flaring magic in him. He raised his eyebrows at Jacob's expectant face, wondering whether to lie.

"Yes," he said simply.

"Okay, so who are you?"

"I'm Harry."

Jacob smiled, narrowing his eyes. "And –" he said, nodding his head slowly at Harry to continue.

"Who are you?" Harry finished.

"I'm Jacob."

"And –"

"No fair, I asked first," Jacob said lightly, twitching his lips at Harry.

Harry sighed. At least Jacob was being honest with him rather than threatening him like the Cullens did. Like _Edward_ did. "_If_ I tell you, you're going to tell them too, aren't you?" he asked, pointing vaguely in the direction of the beach.

"We have no secrets. Unfortunately," Jacob said, wincing.

"Is it really that important?"

Jacob shrugged. "No. I just thought you might want to tell me," he said.

Harry was surprised to find that Jacob was right. He _did_ want to tell someone about himself. He wanted to talk about _everything_ without worrying about what he was saying. He needed a fresh pair of eyes to look into his world, to tell him his life wasn't as fucked up as he'd thought. The fact that Jacob was being so forthright about it was an immense relief. He wasn't dancing about the topic. Harry imagined Hermione's flushed face and shuddered. _But it's my life. I can do whatever I want with it. And I can tell whoever I want about it._

With the newfound realization that he was his own boss, Harry's heart lightened. "I'm a wizard," Harry said quietly, watching Jacob's expression.

"Hmm… Magic and all?" Jacob asked.

"Wand and all," Harry replied.

"We're shapeshifters," Jacob said nonchalantly. "Pretty much everyone on the reservation knows. Not a big secret."

"Shapeshifters?"

"Well, we can shift to the form of a wolf," Jacob explained.

Harry's eyes widened. "Wolves?"

"Not just your regular ones, either. Fucking scary ones," Jacob said, grinning maliciously.

"Remind me never to cross any of you," Harry muttered in his daze. "Why're you telling me this? I'm _pretty_ sure no one in Forks knows. They'd have mentioned you…"

"Well, you told me who you are and I agreed to tell you who I am. It's only fair," Jacob said vaguely.

"Do they _know_ you told me this?"

"They'll know soon enough."

"Would they mind?"

Jacob scoffed. "It's my decision to make, why would they mind?"

"Hmm… I sup – wait, it's your decision to make?"

"I _am_ the pack leader, so yeah, my decision," Jacob said simply, tilting his head.

Harry's jaw dropped. "Wh – You? You're the leader? B - but – you – you're so –"

"Spit it out, Harry."

"Young…"

Jacob winked. "Immortality has its perks."

"Oh, not you too," Harry groaned without thinking. He bit his tongue when he saw Jacob's gaze sharpen. Harry quickly sidestepped his stare, pretending to misinterpret it.

"No, _I'm_ not immortal. I suppose that's why you were so reckless with my car. You can't die," Harry said, his mind whirling.

Jacob laughed. "I'm immortal, doesn't mean I can't be killed. It's just harder to kill me than you," he said, cocking his eyebrow up.

"Wouldn't count on it," Harry mumbled, instantly berating himself for blurting out his thoughts. He noticed Jacob raising up both eyebrows now, looking surprised. "Shapeshifters… Never heard of them," Harry said, covering up his errant comment.

"We're Quilete legends. I'd be surprised if you _had_ heard of us before. Well kept secret… So, a wizard huh? What can you do?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Everything," he said, settling for an all-encompassing answer.

Jacob smirked at Harry's response. "You should show me sometime," he said.

"When you show me your wolf form," Harry countered, smiling back.

"How about tomorrow?" Jacob asked, pushing his hands into his jeans.

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, we can meet here. Same time. Bring your wand," Jacob grinned. "See ya," he said, strolling back to the beach.

"Oookay then…" Harry breathed, running his fingers through his hair.

-x-

Harry's doorbell rang the next morning, waking him up from his peaceful sleep. He cursed at the door, rolling over and pushing his head under his pillow. The bell rang again, insistently. "Shut up," Harry muttered. That didn't stop the bell from ringing again.

"_Muffliato_," Harry muttered, pointing at his door. The ringing stopped abruptly, bringing about some peace in his bedroom. He curled up in a tight ball and tried to remember what his dream was about. He knew it had something to do with his ruined Firebolt and the wind in his hair. He shivered at the thought of riding his broom, feeling the cool breeze touch his face. He sighed, smiling at the thought. Then he frowned as his sleep left him. He threw his eyes open and stared into Edward's golden ones.

"What the f – get out, get out, get out!" Harry yelled, batting at Edward with his drowsy arms. He scrambled away from the vampire, bunching his duvet around him. Edward was leaning against Harry headboard, watching him with mild amusement. Harry kicked at Edward viciously, trying to topple him off of his bed. "Get – out – of – my – bed," he said, punctuating each word with a kick. Edward didn't budge.

"We need to talk," he said.

"_Not_ in my bed, we don't!" Harry remarked, fishing under his pillow for his wand.

"Looking for this?" Edward asked, dangling Harry's wand in front of him.

"Yes," Harry snapped, swiping at it. Edward was, obviously, quicker.

"No wands. Just you," he said.

"What do you _want_?" Harry asked, already tired of Edward's mind games.

"I want to know whether you like me or not."

Harry punched his mattress with his fist. "Edward, you're an infuriating little piece of shit."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"_No_, I _don't_," Harry said, resisting an urge to pout.

"Hmm… Pity," Edward said, getting up off of Harry's bed. Harry frowned at the back of Edward's head.

"And I want my wand back," Harry said, holding out his hand.

Edward smiled and shook his head softly before handing back Harry's wand. "Do you enjoy tormenting yourself, Harry?" he asked.

Harry's breath hitched when Edward called him by his name. He was locked in a smoldering gaze with Edward now, finding no escape.

"No. Do you enjoy cheating, Edward?" Harry retaliated, his voice cold and crisp.

"No," Edward said, looking through Harry with glazed eyes. "I don't – she's just – it's not like that."

Harry massaged his aching temple. "Then what's it like, Edward?"

"I _can't_ stay away from her. I _need_ to protect her," Edward tried to explain.

Harry laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, _protect_ her. The only thing she needs to be protected from is _you_," he said furiously.

"I know," Edward said quietly, now looking at his feet dejectedly.

"If you know, why don't you let go?"

"Because – I'm not strong enough," he said hesitantly.

"Oh for god's sake, Edward. Don't give me that bull. You were strong enough to be turned, and now you're telling me you're not strong enough to stay away from Bella?" Harry said rapidly, jumping out of bed.

"She's different," Edward said, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"Why? Because she appeals to the monster in you?" Harry asked harshly.

"Yes," Edward growled, glowering at Harry.

"That's not – just, I can't do anything about you if you're with her," Harry said softly.

"So you _do_ like me, right?" Edward said, his expression hopeful.

Harry looked baffled and he blinked at Edward's hesitant smile. Edward blurred for a second before appearing inches away from Harry.

"Good, because I like you too," he said, pressing his lips against Harry's.

Harry craned his neck up as Edward pushed into him, wrapping his arms around Harry's hips. Harry's eyes fluttered shut as an intimate response to Edward's touch. He breathed softly into Edward's cold lips, shuffling forward. He slid his hands up Edward's chest, clutching onto his shirt as Edward parted his lips slowly. His mind melted when Edward dipped his tongue into Harry's mouth for a quick taste. The magic was threatening to burst through Harry and his knees wavered. The cold vampire groaned and pulled Harry closer, filling his mouth deliciously. Harry was so soft and supple against Edward's marble stature. Edward tangled his fingers into Harry's bedraggled hair, pushing into him with fervor. He twisted around and pulled Harry down on the bed, bruising his lips with passionate kisses. Harry shivered against the harsh touches. He pushed out Edward's wandering tongue and invaded Edward's hard mouth with his own, letting his hunger take over. He straddled Edward and leaned forward. He pinned Edward's shoulders to the mattress, assaulting his mouth with eager swipes and hard nibbles. Edward gasped as Harry moved against him and pushed his warm hands under Edward's shirt. Harry hissed into Edward's mouth when he felt the cold, smooth skin rippling under his fingers. He moved his lips down to Edward's chin, sliding over it with ease. He rested on Edward's long neck, torturing him with hard kisses. He ran his hands up Edward's chest, slightly unnerved by the stillness of it. No warmth, no movement, no heart…

"Harry, I can't –"

Harry pushed his mouth against Edward's again, silencing him. Edward held Harry's cheeks in place, losing himself in Harry's passion. He felt Harry's warmth bubbling through him, making him feel new. Harry's firm kisses reassured him, wanted him. He arched into Harry's yearning body, his need rising to its threshold. Harry moved down to his neck again, causing him to gasp. He felt Harry's pulse beating against him and he trembled. He felt his thirst gnawing at him as Harry nipped at his neck.

"Harry, please –"

Harry wrapped his arms around Edward's back, running his fingers against the vampire's muscles. Edward groaned at the warm touch, his mind turning red. Harry's frantic heart was beating against his chest and wet lips were moving down his collarbone, grazing it lightly. With a growl Edward pushed Harry off of him and scrambled out of bed.

"I can't," he breathed, his body stiff with control.

"Fuck, I'm so sorry, Edw –"

"It's not your fault. I just – I haven't been that intimate before. With anyone," Edward said, steadying his mind.

Harry was still tangled in his covers, staring nervously at Edward. "You're alright?"

Edward smiled easily as he turned to look at Harry. "Better than alright, Harry," he said, walking up to Harry's bed and kissing Harry's lips smoothly. He pulled away slowly, staring into Harry's dazed eyes. He brushed one last kiss on Harry's flushed cheek before pulling away completely.

"I've got to get home and listen to Alice's screams now. I'll – I'll see you later?" Edward looked questioningly at Harry.

Harry nodded mutely, his heart singing with passion and love.

"Good," Edward said, grinning at Harry before walking out of his bedroom.

Harry sighed happily as he fell on his bed. _I love my fucked up life_.

-x-


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N: **Timeline schmimeline… I can't be bothered with it. Jacob is already turned and he's the pack leader because it would be _gross_ if he was still fifteen. And Harry is nineteen/twenty because otherwise he'd be _way _too old for me to be comfortable around him. Please note that this story is to satisfy my own silliness and fluffiness. So, yes, I was just messing with you guys in Chapter 7 and I will continue messing with you in this chapter. **Sigh…** I can just see the flamers right now, grabbing their pitchforks and lighting their torches. But you just can't stop my raging hormones!

-x-

Ten minutes after Edward left, Harry finally came to his senses. He sat up on his bed, gingerly touching his swollen lips.

"I'm going to kill him," Harry said sensibly. He couldn't believe what he'd just done. Edward was manipulating him like putty, and Harry was bending to accommodate him. Harry was _letting _Edward use him. _What kind of a sick masochist am I?_ He couldn't believe he'd fallen for Edward's lame excuses and smothering looks – again. He got out of bed with a frustrated growl. He's going to have to put a stop to this. Knock some sense into the young vampire. Harry shuffled to his bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. _Maybe I'm just attracted to him physically_, he tried to reason. _In that case, it would be much easier to break things off_. Anger welled up in Harry. He slapped his hand on the granite counter, leaning into his reflection.

"You are a world class idiot, Harry Potter," he muttered at the mirror, glaring at the green eyes. He got dressed in a daze of fury and stomped down the stairs. He grabbed his keys and ran out of his house.

He got into his car and gunned it out of his driveway, rapidly twisting around the narrow lanes without inhibition. He shifted gears viciously, almost causing the car to stall, but he maneuvered it to keep going faster. He wanted to get as far away from himself as possible. He skidded onto the highway and felt his car shuddering as he pushed it to 120 mph. The engine protested loudly and the tires screeched ominously as Harry wound around sharp corners. His head was pounding with the rush and his hands were trembling as they clutched the steering wheel painfully. He made up his mind at that moment, when the road rushed under him and the trees whipped around him. He was leaving Forks and he never wanted to see the bloody town or anyone in it ever again. Harry slammed on his brakes. His car fishtailed as it swung itself across the empty highway. Harry was wrenched to the side and the car jerked under him. Burnt tire marks riddled the road as the BMW lurched to a halt facing the direction he'd come from. Harry rested his head back, taking in calming breaths. This is what he should have done when he'd found out about the Cullens. This is what he should have done when he realized he had a crush on Edward. This is what he should have done when he knew that he had fallen in love. He should've just moved away from it all. He slammed his head back, angry tears prickling his eyes.

His heart jumped to his throat when he heard a sharp rap on his window. He glanced up at Jacob's concerned face. Harry lowered the window, his eyebrows raised derisively.

"You always manage to catch me at the worst times ever," he said dejectedly.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I am," Harry said, hoping that was the truth.

"Hmm… Want me to drive?" he asked, biting the corner of his mouth.

"I don't know where I want to go," Harry replied pitifully.

"Reservation?"

Harry looked back up at Jacob's warm eyes. "Sure," he shrugged, getting out of his car shakily. They were driving down the highway within a matter of seconds, Jacob driving slower than usual, which was still at a smooth 80 mph.

"Did you tell your friends yet?" Harry asked, looking at Jacob's profile.

"No, thought it'd be cooler if you did," Jacob said, an impish smile on his face.

"As long as you stop them from mauling me…" Harry replied.

"Done," Jacob said, nodding his head slightly.

They rode in silence for a few minutes. Harry noticed the forest thinning slightly. Small houses popped up in between the trees and hints of civilization showed itself. The trees suddenly stopped and were replaced by fences and roads. He had entered the Quilete reservation.

"Wow," Harry breathed, feeling the magic trickling into him. Being a lazy spring day, the residents were enjoying the warm sun, chatting on the patios and walking towards the town centre. The reservation felt so different from Forks. It was loud and cheery, bustling with activity. Harry saw young children running up and down the side streets, kicking soccer balls. The older residents were sitting on the benches, languidly chatting. Some of the men and women were staring at Harry's car as it crawled by them, their eyes wide with interest. Harry slumped down on his seat, embarrassed.

"Here we are," Jacob said, turning the car into a small bungalow and parking it beside a couple of black bikes.

"You made those?" Harry asked as he stepped out of his car.

"Yeah, took me forever. But it runs perfectly," Jacob said, smiling proudly. He ran onto his porch, knocking at the door loudly. "Dad!" he shouted.

Harry trudged up the stairs, shoving his hands in his pockets. He was starting to feel uncomfortable with the whole situation. He heard rattling inside the house and the door burst open, showing an older man frowning up at Jacob from his wheelchair. His hair was pulled back into a lose ponytail and his skin was copper, lighter than Jacob's. His beady brown eyes were squinting and his harsh mouth was pulled into a grim line.

"You're late! I've been –" his eyes swiveled to Harry and his words caught in his mouth. The frown quickly changed to a smile. The lines of his face softened. "Oh, I'm sorry. You must be Harry, right?" he said, holding out his hand for Harry to shake.

Harry smiled back politely. "Yes, that's me," he said, shaking the man's rough hand.

"I'm Jake's father, Billy," he said warmly, rolling backwards to let the two men into the house.

Jacob stepped around Billy easily, ignoring his scowl. Harry smiled apologetically before following hesitantly. They walked past the open kitchen and into the living room. Jacob fell onto the couch, grabbing the remote and flipping through the channels. Harry sat on the chair, unsure of what to do. Billy came into the room a few moments later. "Want something to drink, Harry?"

"Oh, no, thank you," he said.

"I want a Coke," Jacob announced.

"Get it yourself," Billy grumbled, snatching the remote from his son's hand and changing the channel back to the game. "Charlie's going to be here any moment, so behave. He might even bring Bella with him," Billy said, winking at Jacob.

Jacob rolled his eyes at his father. "My dad, the matchmaker," he said, glancing at Harry. He turned back to Billy. "She's already with that leech," he muttered, frowning.

Harry's head jerked away from the TV. He saw Billy narrowing his eyes at his son's statement.

"Bella… Swan?" Harry asked, his voice cracking.

"Yeah. You know her? Her dad and mine are friends and he comes over to watch the game sometimes," Jacob explained. "Bella may stop by too," he said, tugging his shirt nervously.

Harry noticed Jacob's peculiar behavior. "She's my student," Harry said faintly. _Leech?_ He didn't push any further, his mind busy with what had transgressed the last few minutes. He was pulled out of his thoughts at the doorbell.

"That's Charlie," Billy said, a huge grin on his face.

"Dad, you're like a child," Jacob grumbled, unfolding from the couch and walking out of the room.

Harry heard muffled greetings and thuds. He looked back in time to see Jacob shuffling towards him self-consciously, closely followed by Charlie and Bella. Charlie immediately sat down on the couch next to Billy, chatting up a storm. Bella and Jacob stood around awkwardly, stealing glances at each other. Harry sighed and got up, grabbing Bella's attention.

"Oh, Mr. Potter. What are you doing here?" Bella blurted out, flushing with embarrassment.

That seemed to wake Jacob up. "Potter? What a silly name," he said, chuckling.

Harry scowled at him, crossing his arms in front of him. "_My_ name," he grumbled. "I'm just visiting," he said, turning to Bella.

"I see," she said, flashing a hesitant smile.

"So, you guys want to get out of here?" Jacob asked, looking pointedly at the door.

Harry and Bella nodded, following Jacob out of the house. "Oh, nice car, Mr. Potter," Bella said, her eyebrows drawing up.

Harry smiled. "Yes, it is," he replied.

Jacob strolled along the streets at an easy pace while Harry and Bella struggled to keep up with him. They walked past houses and people, everyone was smiling at the trio, wishing them a good morning. The two visitors blushed at the attention, slouching into their clothes.

"Er… Where exactly are we going?" Harry asked, figuring out that Jacob wasn't just walking around town randomly.

"To my pack," he said casually.

Bella stumbled forward and Harry tripped over his feet. "What?" they asked in unison. They stared at each other. "You?' they said together.

"He – "

"She –"

"Yes, yes," Jacob said, rolling his eyes at Harry and Bella.

"Oh…" they said, eyeing each other suspiciously. They walked in tense silence. Harry's mind was now overloaded. Bella knew. Did she know about Edward? How did she find out about Jacob? What was she doing here? Harry bumped into Jacob when he failed to stop.

"Sorry," he said hastily, jumping back. He looked up from his daze and found himself in a large green pasture, surrounded by thin trees. The boys from the beach were there, looking at Jacob questioningly. They formed a loose half circle around Harry and Bella. Jacob turned around to face the two bewildered guests.

"My pack," he said with a mock bow. The dark skinned boys eyed Harry warily, surprised at being addressed by Jacob. Silence reigned for a few moments at the pack sized Harry up.

Bella cleared her throat. "Why're you telling him?" she asked.

Jacob flicked his eyes at Harry nervously. Harry shifted his weight uncomfortably, not knowing what to say to Bella. "I – er… I asked him, and he told me," he said.

Bella frowned thoughtfully, staring at the ground. "Why aren't you scared?" she asked, her eyes filled with surprise when the question entered her mind. She bit her lip at Harry.

"Why aren't you?" Harry asked, stalling.

"Nothing really surprises me these days," she muttered, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Astonishment grew in Harry. Words spilled out before his mind could stop it. "You – you know about the Cullens?"

The tension in the clearing was now thick. The shapeshifters glowered murderously at Bella and Harry. Bella was wringing her hands in distress. Jacob stared wondrously at Harry.

"Wait, _you_ know about the Cullens?" he asked skeptically.

Harry mentally kicked himself, his face coloring rapidly. "Er… That is – um… Yes," he mumbled.

"How – how'd you find out?" Bella whispered.

"Um… They cornered me," Harry said, wincing at his choice of words. "I mean, not literally – they invited me over for dinner and –" that didn't come out right either. "They said if I told them – " Harry felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. "They just told me," he said resignedly.

"They know about you?" Jacob asked sharply.

"What about him?" one of the pack members asked suspiciously.

Jacob looked at Harry, then at Bella. He pursed his lips, not deigning to say more.

Harry sighed. "Yes, they know about me," he said.

"What about him?" Bella asked Jacob, her voice tinged with trepidation.

"That I'm a wizard," Harry said, staring at the ground. He heard the wind rustle against the grass and trees at the clearing drowned in heavy silence.

"What's that?" Seth asked loudly.

Jacob laughed at the youngest member of his pack. "He'll demonstrate… Won't you?" he turned to Harry hopefully.

"Um…" he glanced at Bella's dazed face. "I can't – I'm not allowed to… in front of her," he said apologetically.

"Why?" Embry asked, finding his voice again.

"I can't do magic in front of – non-magic folks," he said, raking his hand through his wild hair.

"Oh my god!" one of the older members said, stumbling backwards. Jacob turned to him sharply, jerking his head up questioningly. "He – his scar?" the man said.

"What about it, Paul?" Jacob asked, glancing at Harry, who was furiously patting down his hair. Harry's heart was beating wildly now, his hands trembling.

"I've heard – You can't – Why're you – Oh my god!" Paul stuttered.

"What is he talking about, Harry?" Jacob asked, his voice tensing with dread.

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He closed his mouth and tried to reform his words. He opened his mouth again, but his mind went blank. "Damn," was all he could manage.

Jacob strode up to Harry and placed his hand on Harry's chin, pulling it up. He brushed Harry's black fringes away, staring at the lightning scar intensely. "What is Paul talking about, Harry?" he asked quietly, tracing his hot fingers over Harry's forehead.

On impulse, Harry drew out his wand. "_Protego_," he whispered shakily, pushing Jacob away with his magic.

Jacob stumbled back, feeling Harry's shield against him. He heard loud rips and snarls at that moment. He whirled around to see his pack shifting. Harry stumbled backwards as the magic rushed inside him, stirring him. He fell on the ground, gasping for air. Jacob stepped in front of Harry, staring at his pack menacingly. The ten boys had changed into hulking, muscled wolves with drawn out fangs and flaring nostrils. Their long fur bellowed in the warm breeze. They were pawing the ground menacingly, staring at Harry with hungry eyes. They were at least six feet tall on their four legs, and seven feet long from head to tail. The wolves were crouched, ready to pounce. Bella gasped and staggered away from the angry shapeshifters.

"_No_," Jacob said, exuding authority. The wolves blinked at Jacob, almost questioningly. Jacob let himself smile slightly. "I promised him I wouldn't let you guys maul him," he said.

The wolves looked at each other with derision. Jacob rolled his eyes and turned back to Harry, who'd managed to sit up and breathe deeply by then.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," Jacob said, looking down at Harry's terrified face.

Harry shook his head, trying to clear his baffled brain. "I – I didn't mean to – just reflex," Harry mumbled.

Bella slowly walked up to Harry, kneeling beside him. "Are you alright?" she asked, searching him for injuries.

Harry nodded, quelling the fear that was threatening to come out. He pushed himself up off the ground, staggering to his feet. He was getting used to the magic that was pulsing through him. He eyed the menacing wolves with a sharp eye. "Sorry," he said louder, hoping the wolves knew that he wasn't intending on cursing Jacob into a frog.

The leanest wolf titled his head to the side and nodded. "That's Seth," Jacob explained. He turned back to his pack. "This is just _great_. How're you gonna get home? Naked? I'm going to get an earful from your mothers," he asked, rolling his eyes at his pack's loss of control.

A couple of the wolves winked, their mouths pulled back into a scary grin. The smiles were instantly wiped off of their faces as they turned to look at one of the largest wolves with the deep silver fur. A second later they flicked their eyes back at Harry, now wide with shock.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked Jacob.

"In wolf form, we can read each other's minds… Paul – he's saying something… I need to – " Jacob looked at the pack questioningly before running behind the trees. A few seconds later he ran out – having shapeshifted. He was the largest, Harry noticed. His fur was russet brown, like his skin. He was quick and soft on his feet. His lean body moved easily under his limbs. He was making his way towards the group when Harry heard him let out a low whimper. Jacob had stopped in his tracks and his eyes were squeezed shut. Harry gasped as the other wolves quickly rushed towards Jacob, surrounding him in a tight circle. He looked at Bella, whose face was lit with concern. The wolves were now growling furiously amongst themselves, pawing the ground again. Harry moved in front of Bella, raising his wand slightly. The pack was restless and Harry felt the magic bellowing around him.

With a roar, a large ominous black wolf lunged out of the crowd and ran towards Harry. He opened his mouth and brought up his wand, but let out a strangled yelp when the large russet easily overtook the black wolf and parked himself in front of Harry, snarling furiously. The other wolves hesitantly watched the two large shapeshifters face off. Jacob was pressing himself against Harry, making him move back. Harry was quick to respond as he grabbed Bella and swiftly walked backwards, away from the fury. Jacob seemed to be reasoning telepathically with his pack because all Harry saw were furious head shaking and low grumbles rising from the wolves. They kept glancing up at Harry, growling threateningly. Jacob would snarl back protectively, trying to communicate. The black wolf was now starting to mellow down, his stiff posture melting. Jacob looked back at Harry and Bella, his eyes warming. He nodded his large head, letting them know that he had everything under control. He stared at Harry for a moment longer before returning to his conversation.

Harry watched Seth move away from the pack and slowly approach Harry with caution. Jacob growled quietly at the young boy. Seth raised his paw and waved Jacob back lazily. He was staring intently at Harry, gently padding closer. Harry held as still as he could, not wanting to drive the pack towards him again. The blond wolf stopped at Harry's feet and looked up at him expectantly. Harry glanced up at Jacob, who was watching Seth warily. Seth nudged Harry with his snout. Harry crouched down on his knees and hesitantly brushed his hand against Seth's sandy head, feeling the thick fur move under his shaky fingers. Seth grunted quietly and moved his nose up to Harry's forehead, brushing away Harry's hair softly. Harry's breath hitched as Seth touched Harry's scar with his wet nose. He tried to remain unresponsive, his hand resting on Seth's head lightly. Seth pulled back, staring at Harry's forehead for a moment longer before running a dripping, slobbery tongue over Harry's cheek.

"Ew!" Harry cried, quickly wiping away the drool on his face. Seth's chest rumbled with what Harry thought to be a laugh. Jacob was rumbling too, his intelligent eyes winking at Harry. Harry felt his magic pulling towards Jacob at that moment and he frowned. Bella was now kneeling beside Harry, stroking Seth's back gently. "You're a handsome one, aren't you?" she said softly. Seth's rumbling increased and he raised his puppy eyes at Bella, cuddling against her neck.

Harry gazed at Jacob for a moment. "I guess I should explain?" he asked. Jacob nodded his head. He glanced at the pack, who nodded with him. Jacob quickly loped off behind the trees. He came out looking like himself, pulling his shirt on. Harry noticed Jacob's strengthened abs rippling as he moved. His biceps bulged against his sleeves. As the shirt unfurled from above, his narrow waist was soon covered. Harry wrenched his eye away, horrified at his raging libido.

"They're going to stay like that, since they didn't bring any other clothes," Jacob explained, walking towards Harry, Bella, and Seth.

Harry felt another inexplicable pull towards Jacob, and he steeled himself. He tensed when Jacob sat down on the grass beside them, crossing his legs. The rest of the wolves surrounded them, laying on their bellies with their snouts propped up on their paws.

"Story time," Jacob said, winking at Harry. Harry shivered as his heart fluttered.

"Um, what do you know?" Harry asked.

"Paul called you the Boy-Who-Lived. Something about you – er – killing?" Jacob said, pulling at the blades of grass nervously.

Harry sighed. That's all everyone remembered about him. He was the boy who killed the most evil wizard known to man. He was the boy with that scar. He was the boy who lived.

"When I was two, my parents were murdered by – this maniac. His name was Voldemort. He tried to kill me too, but my mum… She gave her life for me, and I was protected against him. It's magic. He couldn't kill me. All he did was give me this scar," Harry pointed at his hidden forehead. "And then he disappeared for ten years. Everyone thought he was dead."

"He wasn't," Jacob said quietly. Harry shook his head, unconsciously rubbing his scar.

"He came back when I was – well, I guess my entire school life, all seven years of them. He was after me, wanted to finish the job. Final year, he attacked the school. And I – I killed him," Harry said vaguely.

Jacob looked confused. He opened his mouth to speak, but didn't really know what he wanted to know. Paul growled lowly, looking at Harry. Jacob glanced at Paul questioningly. "I think there's more to it," Jacob said slowly, turning his head to Harry.

"Not really," Harry shrugged.

"He said that you are more powerful than – all others."

Harry smiled wryly. "No, _that_ I'm not," he said. Paul growled insistently.

"Is there something you aren't telling us?" Jacob asked, not wanting to push Harry too much, but still curious at Paul's demeanor.

Harry frowned. How would Paul know? Jacob interrupted his thoughts again.

" – a wand?" was all Harry heard when he focused on Jacob's face.

"Hmm?"

"Paul said something about a wand. He said that's not the real one," Jacob said, looking pointedly at the wand Harry was holding lightly. Harry's eyes widened as he looked at Paul.

"I – how does he know this?" he asked, swiveling his head back at Jacob. Jacob shrugged. Harry glanced down at his wand. "It's not true. _This_ is my real one. The other… I was just borrowing it," he muttered, more to himself.

Jacob made a noise of exasperation, throwing his hands up. "You aren't explaining _anything_, Harry! You're only making it worse," he grumbled.

"I don't – it's such a long story. And I don't want – I don't want to explain everything. That's why I moved. So I could be done explaining," Harry said morosely.

Jacob sighed deeply. "Fine, fine. So you're a really powerful wizard who killed your parents' murderer. Is that it? Didn't you go to jail?"

Harry snorted incredulously. "For killing Voldemort? Yeah, right… Besides, I didn't really kill him. The wand – the other wand… He was using it to kill me, but it turned on him and killed him instead. So, I didn't really… I'm not a killer," Harry finished firmly.

"This is so freakin' annoying. I have _no_ idea what you're talking about!" Jacob said.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, his frustration growing. "I don't know what to tell you. Voldemort felt _no_ remorse for what he'd done. He killed my parents, he killed my godfather, he killed my friends, and he felt no remorse. He killed so ruthlessly, wanting to rid the world of everyone who wasn't _pure_. He lived off of pain and suffering. He's killed so many; it makes me sick. I – my entire life led up to it. I was prepared to _die_ to save my friends," tears spilled down Harry's face. "I _did_ die."

Harry was immediately enveloped in a warm embrace. He sobbed into Jacob's broad shoulder, shuddering against the force with which his emotions were bursting out of him. Jacob clutched him protectively, fitting Harry's lean body against his. Harry breathed in Jacob's musky scent, his heart thrumming in his chest. His head was growing light as the magic pulled him towards Jacob. He let all his sadness leave him, focusing on Jacob's warmth. He clutched Jacob's shirt helplessly, never wanting to let go. Jacob's hands held him tight, calming Harry's mind.

"Bella," he heard Jacob's low voice above his head. "I imprinted."

Bella squealed shrilly, causing Harry to pull away. He wiped his cheeks dry, blushing. He'd cried like a little girl in front of the entire pack. He looked at Bella's grinning face and frowned.

"What?" he asked thickly. The pack was on its feet, staring at Harry and Jacob. Harry turned his frown to Jacob.

"What?" he asked again.

"I imprinted… on you."

-x-

**A/N:** What? I _love_ Jacob. Let him have his fun, sheesh!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

-x-

"I don't know what that means," Harry said, feeling Jacob's gaze boring into him.

"When I shifted… I felt it," Jacob breathed. "Something has changed. I think you're my soul mate, Harry."

Harry's jaw dropped. "No… It's just – a mistake," Harry said, shaking his head. But he couldn't shake away the pull of magic in him. "I – I don't even know you," he said.

"You don't know me, yet. Imprinting isn't that common in shapeshifters, but it happens. And it's happened to me," Jacob said. "I felt it the moment I saw you after I'd shifted. Something is pulling me towards you," he smiled wryly. "It took me a while to convince them," he said, raking his eyes over his pack. "But they understand. Do you?"

"You were fighting over me?" Harry squeaked.

"Not really. I mean, there's an unwritten rule that pack mates can't kill imprintees. When a person imprints – he has an overwhelming need to protect the imprintee. I was just being cautious," he said, glaring openly at the black wolf.

Harry's head was spinning and his eyes were unsteady. He felt Jacob's warm hand pressing his shoulder reassuringly, bringing him back to reality. "What's going to happen?" he asked hoarsely.

Jacob laughed. "Nothing! Absolutely nothing. I'll be whatever you want me to be, Harry," Jacob said, grinning happily.

Harry frowned. "What?"

Jacob's eyes glinted playfully. "You can use me as you wish," he said, winking.

"Trust me, I have no reason to use you," Harry muttered.

"Hmm…" Jacob replied, eyeing Harry with an almost well hidden expression of concern. "Do you want to talk? Alone?" he asked.

"Yes," Harry said instantly, surprised by his response. He got up quickly, looking at Jacob expectantly. Jacob glanced at Bella.

"You'll be okay?"

Bella nodded. Jacob got up and led Harry away from the pack, into the forest. They walked for a few minutes silently, letting their thoughts settle. Jacob pointed to a moss covered log. They walked along the thick foliage and sat on the damp log, staring at each other.

"I need to tell you," Harry said, feeling like he was about to burst with all the secrets he was carrying.

"Anything," Jacob responded.

"In the strictest confidence?" Harry asked.

"Of course."

"And you won't jump at my throat?"

Jacob laughed. "Definitely not."

Harry took a deep breath. "If I told you I was in love with Edward Cullen, what would you say?" His heart floated up at having unburdened the secret.

Jacob tilted his head at Harry, his eyes clouding. "I'd say get over it," he said.

"I've tried. God knows, I've tried," Harry muttered. He watched his fingers lightly tapping against the moss, relieved at Jacob's calm response.

"Harry, he's hurt you, hasn't he?" Jacob said, his voice cracking. Harry looked up at Jacob's eyes, which was now filled with anger.

"I'm just hurting myself, Jacob," he said quickly. "And he's – he's just confused," he explained. "Today, he – I – we kissed. Oh fuck, we kissed. And I _knew_ he was with Bella. And I still let him. I _let _him, Jacob! I enjoyed it and I _let_ him use me. I don't know… I don't know what to do. I don't know how to feel. I'm just so lost. I want to leave, but I don't. I want to be with him, but I don't. I –" Harry broke off, feeling his emotions rising up again.

Jacob groaned at Harry's pain and scooted towards him, wrapping a hand around Harry's shoulder. Harry turned his head and let it drop on Jacob's welcome shoulder, crying into it softly. "You keep it all inside, don't you?" he asked quietly. Harry nodded, realizing how easy it was to talk to Jacob. He realized how much he wanted to talk to Jacob. He wrapped his arm around Jacob's stomach, pulling him closer.

"I've always held it in. When I was young and my aunt and uncle abused me, I had to hold it in. When my godfather was killed, I had to hold it in. When I killed Voldemort, I had to hold it in. I'm so tired of holding it in," he said, fresh tears springing up.

"You don't have to with me, Harry. You know that, right?" Jacob said.

"Yes, I know."

"Good."

They sat there for a while; Harry's sobs descending to faint gasps. "What do you want to do about it?" Jacob asked finally.

"About what?"

"Edward."

"Nothing. I don't want to do anything about him," Harry said vehemently.

"You just said you loved him," Jacob replied.

"I don't care. I don't want to do anything about him," Harry repeated.

Jacob sighed. "Okay." Silence enveloped them again. Harry breathed in Jacob's now familiar scent, feeling calm at having someone to share his pain with.

"You know, I can feel you too," he said, untangling himself from Jacob's grasp.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I can feel my magic pushing me towards you. It's weird," Harry said.

"I bet."

Harry stared at Jacob's young face without inhibition. He ran his eyes down Jacob's narrow forehead to his wide brown eyes. Jacob's lashes were long and black, fanning thickly across his lids. His nose was angled down, strengthening his face. His soft cheekbones sloped faintly towards his strong chin. His lips were turned up into a slight smile, crooked as it pulled up more on his right side. "You know, you're a really handsome guy," Harry said unabashedly.

Jacob's lips twitched up further, displaying his straight white teeth. "I know," he said smugly.

"Hmm…"

"Are you going to tell Bella?" Jacob asked, his grin subsiding.

Harry sagged slightly. "About Edward? I – What do you think?"

"I think you should. She's my friend and I don't want to see her get hurt," Jacob said.

"It's just so… embarrassing," Harry said, closing his eyes against his thoughts.

"She _needs_ to know, Harry," Jacob said sensibly.

"I know," Harry said resignedly.

Jacob chewed on his lip thoughtfully, staring at Harry's dejected face. "You're pretty cute too, Harry. No need to mope around," he said, his eyes shining impishly.

Harry punched him in the arm, smiling wryly.

"So, you moved here to stop from explaining yourself?" Jacob asked, changing the topic abruptly.

"Er… Yeah. I needed to get away," Harry said. Then he snorted derisively. "I needed to get away from the magic," he added ironically.

"Got more than you bargained for, didn't you?" Jacob asked.

"You have _no_ idea," Harry said.

"Want to show me some magic?"

Harry looked at Jacob blankly. "I – er… Sure," he stuttered, pulling out his wand. "What do you want to see?"

"Something amazing," Jacob said.

Harry looked at Jacob's excited face and his twinkling brown eyes.

"_Expecto Patronum_," he said softly, letting all his emotions escape into his wand. The end of the wand gently spouted shimmering blue light that started to take form rapidly. Jacob gasped as he saw the light turning opaque and shifting around. A moment later a large stag stared him in the eyes. The blue animal shuffled on the ground, hardly disturbing the foliage. Its body moved flawlessly, flowing through the air. It turned to Harry and gently nuzzled his head. Harry smiled sadly, feeling his emotions falter. The Patronus wavered slightly as it looked at Jacob again, nodding once. Then it was gone, the blue light flowing back into Harry's wand. Harry stared at the space where the stag had been.

"My father… He was able to turn into a stag at will. Whenever my deepest fear returns, he's with me, protecting me from it. He's protecting me even when he's not alive," Harry said quietly.

"Thanks for showing me that," Jacob responded, touching Harry's back lightly.

"It's the most amazing thing I can do," Harry said. Jacob's touch strengthened. He smiled wistfully at the empty space in front of him for a few moments. He jumped when Jacob put his chin on Harry's shoulder.

"Want to show me something crazy?" he asked, chuckling into Harry's ear. Harry grinned, his eyebrows arching up. He turned around to face Jacob.

"You're sure?" he said, feeling the excitement bubbling up in him too.

"Dead sure," Jacob said, winking.

"Don't get mad," Harry muttered before quickly following it by, "_Levicorpus_."

Jacob yelped as an unseen force pulled up his leg and he was upended. He felt his ankles being drawn up as he floated into the air upside down. He came face-to-face with Harry, who was laughing. Blood rushed to his head as he was suspended in thin air.

"_Not_ funny," Jacob said, folding his arms to his chest.

Harry flashed a wide grin before muttering, "_Liberacorpus_." Jacob tumbled to the ground, cursing Harry under his breath. Harry tittered. "That wasn't even the craziest thing I could've done to you," he said. He grabbed Jacob by the arm and twisted around, Apparating back to the edge of the field.

"Holy shit," Jacob breathed, staggering forward. He looked around wildly, glancing back at Harry's grinning face. "How did you – that was amazing!" he said.

"Again, not the craziest thing I could've done to you," Harry said. He winked at Jacob and pointed his wand at Seth's wolf figure that was running around Bella. "_Rictusempra_," he said.

Seth stopped in his tracks, his body shaking. He promptly fell on the grass, rolling around like mad and howling loudly. The rest of the wolves swiveled their heads to where Harry and Jacob were laughing. The pack rumbled softly, turning around to watch Seth, who was trying to escape the invisible hands tickling him. He was curling up in a ball, growls and rumbles emanating from his small body. Harry took pity and finished the charm, his shoulders shaking with mirth. Seth lay on the ground panting, his four legs up in the air.

"I thought you weren't supposed to do magic in front of Bella," Jacob said as they walked towards the pack.

"Being the Boy-Who-Lived has its perks," Harry said. "Like sidestepping some rules. I'll see to it when the letter arrives."

Bella was rubbing Seth's belly kindly when the two men finally caught up. She frowned up, pouting. "That wasn't very nice," she said. Seth whined in agreement. This caused the other men to laugh again.

"I'll make it up to you, Seth," Harry said, feeling much lighter now. Seth growled at Harry, turning his head away smugly.

"Shouldn't we be heading back?" Bella asked, looking at her watch.

"Yeah," Jacob said, stretching his back. "You guys run on home and don't muddy the floor. I've already heard enough from your mothers, Quil and Embry."

The wolves showed their teeth as they grinned, nodding their head. As one, the pack took off towards town, disappearing from the clearing in a matter of seconds. Jacob looked at Harry with anticipation before turning to Bella.

"We need to talk," he said.

-x-

"HARRY?" A loud knock sounded on the door. "HARRY, ARE YOU IN THERE?" The knock turned to sharp thuds. "IF YOU ARE, OPEN THE DOOR _RIGHT NOW_!" The sharp thuds turned to wild kicks. "FINE!"

Alice burst into Harry's lobby, letting the door bang against the wall. Harry was at the other end of the hall, his mouth gaping open with a piece of toast in it. "Ugh! It's stinks," she muttered unconsciously. "Oh good, you're alive. I lost you for – What's the_ mutt_ doing here?" Alice was looking repulsively at Jacob, who'd showed up behind Harry.

"Mutt?" Harry asked, chewing rapidly. He looked at Jacob questioningly.

"That's me," Jacob said, shrugging at Harry.

"Um… The mutt's with me," Harry said, turning back to face Alice. Jacob shoved him.

"_Why_?" she asked in disbelief.

"What do you mean, why? He's my guest," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever. I just came to make sure you weren't lying dead in a ditch somewhere. After Edward's – whoa, _Bella_?"

Bella had just walked out of the living room, joining Harry and Jacob. Alice wasn't used to surprise, and being surprised successively wasn't doing her any good. She flicked her eyes between Harry and Bella. "She knows?" Alice asked.

Harry blushed, ducking his head. "Er… Yes," he said.

Bella was looking at Alice with steel, cold eyes and pursed lips. Alice winced at the expression. "I swear, Bella, I didn't know what was going to happen. I mean, with Harry, it's so hard to see. His future changes so quickly. I didn't know until – after…"

"But you knew about Edward. His future's plain to see, isn't it?" Bella said tensely.

"Only sometimes, Bella!" Alice replied rapidly. "I mean – since he met Harry, he blurs away at times too. I don't know what to think," she sighed in defeat.

"Alice, it's not your fault!" Harry exclaimed.

"What are you going to do?" Alice asked, dreading the answer.

"I'm breaking it off," Harry said without hesitating. Jacob rolled his eyes behind Harry's head.

"Me too," Bella said. Alice's eyes widened.

"Wh – but – Edward's going to go on a rampage!" she said, tugging at her hair in frustration.

"Let him," Bella retorted, crossing her arms in front of him.

Alice groaned, closing her eyes against her vision. "He's already coming," she said. "He read me."

Harry groaned. "Not in my _house_," he muttered, pulling out his wand.

-x-

**A/N**: You guys ready for an Edward tantrum?


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N: **I can't believe how many of you are against Edward. Poor guy. Angst FTW!

-x-

Edward arrived a minute later to find Harry, Jacob, Alice and Bella standing on the front lawn. Rosalie was quick to follow her enraged brother. Emmett and Jasper arrived a minute later, unsure of what they were doing there. Edward was seething with anger and confusion. He looked at Alice questioningly. She evaded his gaze, but her mind wouldn't stop thinking. Jasper quickly made his way to Alice, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. Realization started to dawn on Edward as Alice replayed the incident in Harry's house. He looked back and forth from Bella to Harry, apparently torn with what his next move should be. He seemed to settle on Harry.

"I explained in the morning. I thought – I thought you felt the same way," he said, putting his hands in his pockets.

Harry's emotions were wild at that moment. Seeing Edward go through such uncertainty was painful. Rosalie wasn't helping with her vicious glare. It looked like Emmett was holding her back softly. "Edward, I thought that I did. Maybe I do, but you can't just run to me when Bella is – You can't have us both. You know that right?" he explained.

Edward growled with frustration. "I _know_," he said, turning to face Bella's hurt expression. He groaned with remorse. "Bella, I – I told you, I feel so protective of you. And I've tried to feel more. I've tried to feel the way you do. I wish I could hear your thoughts, so I'd know what to say," he closed his eyes in exasperation.

"You could've talked to me, Edward," Bella said, tears springing up in her eyes. "You could've told me anything… Everything. Or did you think I was too fragile to handle it?" She wiped away her tears furiously.

"No, I – I didn't want to hurt you, Bella."

"Fuck your chivalry, Edward. You hurt me anyway, didn't you? We're over," Bella hissed.

Before Edward could open his mouth to retaliate, Harry added, "So are we."

Edward stumbled back, his calm demeanor shattered. "But – you can't," he said quietly. "I love you… I love both of you."

Harry and Bella sagged at the response, their resolve weakening. To think that Edward felt the same way about him was causing Harry to tremble.

Rosalie growled menacingly when she saw her brother's pain. "Stop torturing him right now, or I'm going to rip you two to shreds," she snapped. Emmett made a sound of discouragement, wrapping his burly arms around Rosalie's stomach.

"Then choose," Alice's calm voice interrupted everyone's thoughts. If Edward had a beating heart, Bella and Harry would've heard it shatter. He clapped his hand over his mouth to stifle his pained cry. Jasper twitched as he felt the emotions running through him. He tried to staunch the hurt and anger. Rosalie gasped when she saw Edward's emotions leaking out. She struggled against Emmett's grip, gnashing her teeth at Harry and Bella.

"You can't do this to me," Edward said, his voice shaking.

"Yes, we can. The world doesn't revolve around you, Edward," Alice said, staring morosely at Edward. Edward's inward struggle was plain to see. Harry and Bella waited anxiously, shuddering whenever Edward glanced their way. Harry's heart sank at the thought of his decision. _What if he chooses Bella? Or worse, what if he chooses me?_

"Edward, I –" he started to say, but was stopped by Jacob's warm touch.

"Let him decide, Harry," Jacob said quietly.

Edward's gaze snapped to Jacob, as though finally realizing that he was present. Edward's eyes narrowed at the sight of his adversary, then widened as he read the thoughts.

"You – you imprinted? On – Harry?" he breathed. Harry saw Edward's golden eyes glowing with fury and turning black. He held up his wand, ready for whatever explosive attack Edward was preparing for. Edward blurred and Harry let out a faint, "_Impedimenta_," causing him to stumble backwards. Rosalie cried out in anger and ripped away from Emmett's hold, sprinting towards Jacob.

"_Petrificus Totalus_," Harry yelled, his heart at his throat. Rosalie fell on the ground, frozen. Emmett rushed to her, looking at Harry angrily.

"I – I'm sorry. She's – she was –" Harry stammered. "Please, can't we all just talk about this?"

"How _dare_ you?" Edward growled at Jacob, disregarding Harry's weak quip. He rushed at the shapeshifter again.

"_Protego_," Harry said loudly, stopping Edward in his tracks.

Harry stepped in front of Jacob, looking at Edward sternly. "This has nothing to do with Jacob, Edward. Leave him out of it," he said.

Edward looked at Harry incredulously. "What do you mean this has nothing to do with him? If he hadn't imprinted, we wouldn't be having this conversation," he said in a low threatening voice.

"_No_, I was going to have this conversation even if he hadn't imprinted," Harry said firmly. "And I want to know your decision now. You can't toy with me like a plaything. Tell me if your love is purely physical, and I will make that decision for you. Is it?"

Edward struggled to keep himself under control. The ultimatum was breaking him. "I – I don't – Harry, you can't –"

Harry's stomach sank. "You can have Bella," he said quietly.

Bella snorted derisively. "I don't want him," she said.

"This is all _your_ fault, you filthy mongrel," Edward snarled, his anger taking over. He took a threatening step towards Jacob, who growled back.

Harry shook his head firmly. "This is all _your _fault, Edward. You have _no_ self-control, and I am – _we_ are through accommodating your every whim and fancy," Harry said. He winced when he felt Edward trying to enter his mind.

"Don't you dare try that on me, Edward," he said softly. The force increased tenfold at the threat. Unsure of what was happening, Jacob felt Harry's agitation and shifted his weight uneasily. Harry pointed his wand steadily at Edward's angry figure, glaring at him pointedly.

"Edward, stop," Jasper said quickly, feeling Harry's anger and trepidation rise excessively.

"I don't let _anyone_ in my head," Harry hissed. He felt Edward's presence leaving him, and he lowered his arm. He was completely unprepared for the final shove into his mind that caused him to lose his grip on his Occlumency. He gasped and staggered backwards. He raised his wand shakily, but his mind was exploding with emotions and memories. "Jacob," he whimpered, as he sank to the ground and clutched his head.

Jacob snarled and sprang at Edward, shifting as he was in midair. Bella yelped in terror and Alice dragged her back, away from the two angry creatures. Edward blurred as he sidestepped Jacob. Jacob landed on the lawn softly, his feet moving with speed under him. Edward crouched down, his eyes glinting with fury. Emmett swiftly moved away from Rosalie's frozen body to Edward's side, facing Jacob. The wolf howled and launched himself at the two vampires. He swiped at Emmett with his heavy claws, causing him to stagger back at the force. Edward fell down as the russet wolf jumped on him, making no move to defend himself. Jacob felt Edward's inaction and looked down at the marble face. It was contorted into a look of shock. Jacob growled, trying to grab the vampire's attention. Edward looked up fearfully at Jacob's murderous eyes. "Harry," he whispered. Emmett wrenched Jacob away from Edward's body. Jacob was thrown in the air with brute strength, but he managed to land on his feet with a growl. He felt the magic pulling him to Harry. Emmett was approaching him swiftly, but Jacob's mind kept moving to Harry. He barked angrily at Emmett, wanting to get to Harry. He whined at the pain he felt and looked back at Harry's crouched figure. In two strides, he was by Harry's side, nudging him gently with his snout. Emmett blinked at Jacob's sudden change in demeanor, lowering his guard as he stared at Harry and the wolf.

"I can't stop," Harry muttered, shivering. His mind was overrun with thoughts that Edward was pumping out of him. The memories he had buried deep into his mind were spewing out. Harry felt like he was reliving his life again. He cried out as he heard his mother's screams and saw the blinding green light. He heard the basilisk's threatening hisses and saw Ginny's drained body in the chamber. He heard Hermione's tortured cries and saw Sirius fall back into the veil. He heard Ron's sobs and saw Remus and Tonks lying under the stars in the Great Hall. He struggled to get out of his head. He wanted to get away from himself for the second time that day, this time because it was too painful to be him. He saw Dumbledore toppling off of the tower, dead. He felt the pain of finding Cedric, unmoving and cold. He shook with fear when he faced Voldemort again, laying his life down to save his friends. He gasped when he was hit with the killing curse.

He clutched wildly at Jacob, dragging him into a tight hug, crying into his fur. Jacob whimpered when he felt the magic rushing out of Harry and into him. The wolf's eyes glazed over as he felt everything Harry felt. Harry saw Fred dying. He saw the Death Eaters torturing the school. He saw Severus's dark eyes staring at him with purpose before closing. He saw Voldemort pointing the Elder wand at him a second time and uttering the curse. He felt anger boiling into him at what Voldemort had done – at how Voldemort had changed him. With one last cry of pain, he fainted away, falling softly on the blades of grass. Jacob fell beside him, panting from the anguish he'd felt. He stared at Harry's pained face, feeling the anger growing in him at what Edward had done.

With a loud snarl he was back up on his feet, his body tensed as he turned to face the vampire. He blinked at Edward when he found the boy on his knees, his hands clasped to his mouth in horror. He glanced at Alice, Jasper and Bella. Alice and Jasper looked like they were going to be sick and Bella was staring wildly at the Edward and Harry, not knowing what had just happened. Emmett was back at Rosalie's side, a large frown gracing his burly face. He wasn't sure what to do, now that no one was fighting. He saw Edward's pained face and Alice's shattered composure.

"What is it, Alice?" he asked fearfully.

"I – I saw it," Alice said hoarsely. "I saw it all," she repeated faintly, rushing to Edward and kneeling down beside him. She hugged him tightly, looking up at Jacob over his shoulder. "Who _is_ he?"

-x-

Harry felt like he was floating on clouds. His mind was free of sadness and anger. It was free of worry and hopelessness. He felt the calm washing over him, wave after wave of it. He frowned. This didn't feel right. He tried to push himself out of the clouds. The sun on at his side and he felt the heat emanating from it. He started to panic. He didn't know where he was; all he knew was that he wanted to get out. He struggled against the weightlessness. As a cool breeze washed over his face, he felt himself lifting out of the clouds. He opened his eyes and stared into Esme's kind face.

"Oh," he said, sitting up quickly. He found himself in the Cullens' living room on the couch. Jacob placed a warm hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry turned slowly, frowning thoughtfully. Jacob was sitting on the floor beside the couch, smiling hesitantly at Harry. Harry looked around the room to find the entire Cullen coven scattered around it. "Jasper, could you stop?" Harry asked tiredly. He felt the peace moving out of him and it was quickly replaced with dread.

"What happened?" Harry asked, trying to remember.

"Erm… Before we get any further, Harry, would you mind…" Emmett waved his hand at Rosalie's frozen body on the rug.

"Oh crap! Yeah," Harry said, chiding himself for leaving Rosalie in that body-bind hex. He reached for his wand, but it wasn't in his jeans. "My wand?" he asked.

Jacob held it out to him. "You dropped it," he said as Harry took it from his hand.

"Thanks. _Finite_," he muttered. Rosalie sat up instantly, her eyes glazed over. She opened and closed her jaw a few times before registering where she was. She flicked her eyes at Emmett's amused face and then growled as she remembered how she'd gotten here.

"Potter," she spat, looking wildly around the room. Harry shrank back on the couch and Jacob moved in front of him, shielding him from Rosalie's wrath. Emmett and Jasper held Rosalie's quivering body back, muttering something into her ears in their low voices.

"Harry?" The wizard snapped out of his fright at the hesitant voice behind him. He twisted around on the couch and looked up at Edward's innocent face.

"I – I'm so sorry. I didn't know – All the things I saw… Oh god, I'm so sorry!" Edward said. If he could cry, that's what he'd be doing right then, Harry knew it. He clutched Edward's shaking hand from over the back of the couch.

"What's done is done, okay? Let's not talk about it," Harry said faintly.

"Harry, I love you so much," Edward sighed, leaning down and planting a firm kiss on Harry's upturned lips. Harry's heart melted at the decisive touch and his eyes squeezed shut against Edward's cold touch. He reached up to touch Edward's smooth, stony cheek, pushing into the kiss. But he couldn't shake the heat on his back. _Jacob_… Harry wrenched his lips away from Edward, reaching back blindly to grasp Jacob's shoulder.

"I can't, Edward," Harry said, dropping his eyes from Edward's golden ones. "I told you I'd make the decision for you. I have. I'm not yours to keep." He looked back up at Edward, his lips trembling.

"But –"

"I _told_ you I didn't want anyone in my head. I _told_ you if you loved me wholly, you could have me. You haven't been honest with me and you haven't been honest with yourself. I don't think you can ever love me like that. Not when you have Bella. I can't –"

"I can't lose you."

Harry's fingers dug into Jacob's shoulder and he calmed his frantic heart. "You never had me," he whispered, turning away from Edward and looking at Jacob's warm eyes.

"Thank you, Jacob," Harry said, dropping his hand from Jacob's shoulder.

"You said you'd tell me everything. Why didn't you tell me _that_?" Jacob asked. "I saw it with you, Harry. I felt it, and it was –" he shuddered at the mere thought.

"I didn't know how. I didn't know what you wanted to know," Harry explained.

"I said I wanted to know everything."

"Now you do."

-x-

**A/N:** Totally didn't turn out how I'd envisioned it. Wow, this was way too emotional for me to write.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N: **Yes, yes… I know. I had originally intended it to be Harry/Edward. But as I got along, I see that Edward is not the best for Harry. Jacob on the other hand, tee hee. And regarding Bella… I'll have to see how it'll work out for her. Don't worry, nothing too horrific. Also, what is it with you guys and threesomes?

-x-

The living room stilled of conversation and movement as they watched the exchange between Harry and Edward. Harry felt the tension among the Cullens and he got up from the couch unsteadily. Jacob held him up as he wobbled.

"Um… I think I've overstayed my welcome. I – we'll show ourselves out," Harry muttered, jerking Jacob towards the door.

Esme and Carlisle appeared before them in a flash. "Nonsense, Harry," the man said, gently placing his hand on Harry's hand to stop him. "You will never overstay our welcome," Esme said, smiling at him.

"Oh…" Harry responded dumbly. "But –" he turned to the couch and blinked when he didn't find Edward there. "Oh," he said glumly. "I've hurt him," he bit his lip nervously, looking at Edward's parents.

Carlisle sighed. "Edward… He's strong, Harry. He just needs some time, that's all," the doctor said. "Please, sit back down. You don't look too well. Perhaps we should get some food into you."

As though on cue, Jacob's stomach complained loudly. Alice and Jasper laughed musically at it while Jacob hid his embarrassment in his smile.

"You too, Jacob," Esme said, grinning. She disappeared into the kitchen while Harry sat back down on the couch tiredly. Jacob sat down beside him, aware of his awkwardness in the Cullen home. Carlisle sat on the coffee table, staring at the two men intently.

"Alice tells me you've imprinted," the blond vampire said to Jacob. Jacob nodded stiffly. "How does it feel?" he asked curiously.

Jacob shrugged. "I don't know. It's just this need to protect Harry. Like – nothing else matters," he explained.

Harry tensed at this. _Nothing else matters_. "Jacob, you wouldn't – you wouldn't die for me, would you?" he asked, blood draining from his face. He immediately thought of Pettigrew's bond to him.

"Of course I would," Jacob answered without hesitation.

"You can't," Harry said, his voice cracking. Jacob noticed Harry's internal confusion. He frowned slightly at his soul mate.

"You'd die for me, wouldn't you?" Jacob asked, not understanding what Harry was talking about.

"Yes, but that's diff - you – you can't," Harry said, clenching his hands into fists.

"It's not different, Harry," Jacob said simply. "You're a part of me now. I'd be doing it willingly. You know that, right?"

_Willingly_. This was not like Pettigrew at all. Harry nodded silently, staring at the wand that was still in his hands.

"Do you feel any effects of the imprinting, Harry?" Carlisle asked, watching the exchange between the two men intriguingly.

"Yes. My magic pulls towards Jacob," Harry replied.

"Remarkable," Carlisle said, his eyebrows raised. "When you said you saw it all, did you mean you saw it like Alice did?" he asked Jacob.

"I – not exactly. I didn't just see it. I felt it too. He – like he was projecting it into my head. It was so – real," Jacob stammered, his voice distant as he recollected that moment.

"I'm sorry… My mind's never been good at shutting others out. And when Edward – I couldn't stop myself," Harry said in a hushed tone.

"Harry, who are you, really?" Alice had appeared on the couch beside him, making him jump.

"He's the Boy-Who-Lived," Jacob said, his lips twitching up into a smile.

"Boy-Who-Lived? That thing, Voldemort, he's tried to kill you, hasn't he?" Alice asked, pulling out the visions she had had.

"Many times," Harry sighed. "It was either him or me. Lucky for me, it turned out in my favor."

"You've seen so much," Alice said, placing her hand on Harry's. "I didn't know…"

"I didn't _want_ you to know. I moved because everyone knew and they – they knew everything about me, and that's all they ever talked about. I needed a change. A place where no one knew me and I could be whoever I wanted to be. I guess it didn't quite work out," Harry shrugged helplessly.

"You _can't_ be whoever you want to be. You're Harry Potter. That's who you are," Jacob said firmly.

"I don't want to be Harry Potter," Harry said.

"_I_ want you to be Harry Potter," Jacob said, brushing Harry's fringe away. He slowly traced Harry's scar. "It's who you are and I wouldn't change it for the world," he said instinctively.

Harry turned away, letting his hair hide his scar again. He was saved from stuttering out an appropriate response by Esme, who blurred towards Harry and Jacob, holding out two plates of sandwiches.

"Sorry, we didn't have much else in the house," she said apologetically. Jacob had already started to scarf down his food, so he just grunted.

"He's saying it's alright, Esme," Harry said, chuckling as he bit into his turkey sandwich. "Oh, where's Bella?" he asked, suddenly realizing that the brunette wasn't in the room.

"She went home. She has a lot to think about too," Alice said. Harry nodded leaning back on the couch.

"This _has_ to be the most awkward situation I've ever been in," Harry sighed.

-x-

Edward didn't show up to class for a week. Harry was getting worried, even though Alice kept reassuring Harry that Edward was okay. Bella had moved on from the moping stage to the accepting stage in her anger with Edward. She smiled faintly at Harry anytime he looked at her. Harry was glad to see that she hadn't completely broken down like he had. Harry hadn't seen Jacob for over four days, which was fine by him. He needed the time and space to think about how his life had changed in a matter of hours. Jacob understood Harry's needs like no other, and he didn't mind leaving Harry alone with his thoughts. Harry was glad for that.

Harry was trudging to his car one evening when he felt Edward's presence surrounding him. With a twinge of relief, he turned around to face the young vampire. Edward smiled weakly at Harry, shuffling his feet.

"You're alright?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I am. You?"

"I'm fine."

"I wanted to apologize. For everything," Edward said, stuffing his hands into his pockets uncomfortably.

"Me too," Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck. They stood in silence for a few moments, staring at each other's feet. "Did you talk to Bella?" Harry asked.

"I've tried," Edward said, sagging slightly. "I mean – I _have_ been keeping an eye on her. I _need_ to keep an eye on her. But she won't talk to me."

"Edward, what we have – what we had, it was just infatuation. I hope you know that," Harry reasoned.

"I don't know how to tell the difference," Edward said hopelessly. "I've never felt this way before… For either of you."

"Don't give up on her yet, okay?"

"Don't worry. I haven't," Edward said, shrugging. "Alice and Rosalie have been giving me heck at home. I figured – well, if I talked to you, I'd feel better. I do."

Harry smiled genuinely. "Good. I was getting worried about you. Alice kept saying you were alright, but – I'm glad to _see_ that you are," he said.

"Is it always going to be this uncomfortable between us?" Edward asked, raising his eyebrow.

Harry laughed. "I'm afraid so," he answered, his heart lightening. At least Edward was talking to him now.

"Do you love him?"

Harry's heart skipped at this question. His mind went blank as he blinked at Edward's serious eyes. "I – uh… I don't know," he said slowly. "I've never felt this way before," he added, repeating Edward's confession.

"Hmm… Because it looks like he does."

Harry's breath caught in his throat. "It's just the imprinting," he tried to reason. "He's just – he's just protective. I don't think it's anything – more."

Edward shook his head slightly, smiling. "Harry, most imprintees get married to their mongrels," he said.

Harry's eyes widened with shock and his face drained of blood. "No. Never. Definitely not. No dates, no engagements, no weddings, no receptions, no nothing," he said, vehemently shaking his head in denial. "Besides, I'm not most imprintees," he added vaguely.

"You never know," Edward said, his eyes twinkling impishly.

"I – I'm just gonna go – home," Harry said in a daze, walking back to his car unsteadily. Edward quickly followed.

"I'll drive," he said, gently grabbing the keys from Harry's hand. Harry didn't think to protest, getting into the passenger seat silently. His pale face was now flushed pink and his mind was filling with doubt. Edward had already pulled out of the lot and onto the road before words fell out of Harry's thick mouth.

"He's just a – really close friend. That's all," he murmured.

Edward made a sound of agreement, not wanting to stun Harry again.

"Do you really think he loves me?"

Edward sighed softly. "I've just learnt the hard way that there are many different kinds of love, Harry. I'm probably not the best person to ask. Ask him. He'll tell you the truth."

Harry scoffed. "No way am I asking him," he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I'll ask him."

"_What_? No freakin' way _you're_ asking him!"

Edward laughed at Harry's dramatic response. "Fine, fine."

Harry took a deep breath. "Okay, no need to panic. No big deal. I'll just take it one step at a time," he said to himself.

They drove in silence to Harry's house. "Thanks for the ride," Harry said.

"My pleasure," Edward replied. "I'll see you in school, Mr. Potter," he added, winking before blurring out of Harry's sight.

Harry walked into his house and promptly eyed his phone. He was in two minds about talking to Jacob. He didn't know what he wanted to say and he was worried about what Jacob would say about it. He made himself some food, all the while glancing at his phone thoughtfully. He jumped a mile high when it started to ring. He quickly picked up, hoping it was Jacob.

"Hey," Jacob's voice sounded over the line.

Harry stifled his sigh of relief. "Hey."

"Can I come over?"

"How do you do that?"

"What?"

"Know what I want?"

"I don't," Jacob laughed. "_I_ want to come over. I'll be there in fifteen."

"Okay."

True to his word, fifteen minutes later he was at Harry's front steps. Harry was quick to open his door and Jacob strolled in. Harry eyed the shapeshifter doubtfully, wondering if he was, indeed, in love or not. So far, he saw no outward signs. All he'd done was wink cheekily at Harry before plodding to the couch and sitting on it heavily.

"How was school?" he asked Harry, switching on the TV.

Harry snapped out of his observations. "Oh, good. Um… Edward came to see me," he said nonchalantly.

"And?" Jacob asked just as casually.

"And nothing. He apologized and it was really awkward and he's going to keep trying to talk to Bella," Harry said, moving to his kitchen to finish cooking.

"What're you making?" Jacob called out.

"Casserole. Just leftovers," Harry yelled back. He yelped when he saw Jacob's hand reaching over his shoulder and taking a swipe of his cheesy dish. "You and Alice are going to be the death of me," Harry muttered.

"Can I have some?" Jacob asked.

"Help yourself."

A few minutes later found the two men in Harry's living room, watching mindless TV quietly while eating their dinner. Jacob was guffawing at the antics on the channel while Harry chuckled at Jacob's amusement. When Jacob laughed, all of him laughed. Harry was jostled around on the couch every time Jacob found one of the lame jokes particularly funny. Harry ate slowly, contemplating Edward's words.

"- Harry?"

"Huh?"

"What're you staring at?" Jacob asked again.

Harry blinked. Sometime during dinner he had turned to face Jacob. And now he was staring at his face. Harry blushed. "Er…"

"Do I have something on me?" Jacob asked, brushing his hand against his chin.

"I'll get it," Harry said impulsively, reaching up at touching Jacob's full lips. He felt Jacob's warm breath on his fingers. His pulse quickened. Jacob jerked back, looking at Harry suspiciously. He licked his lips.

"Is it gone?"

"Hmm…"

"Harry, are you alright?" Jacob asked, placing his plate on the coffee table. He pulled his legs up onto the couch and sat cross-legged. He faced Harry, leaning back against the armrest.

"I – I am. Just confused," Harry said, rubbing his hands over his eyes.

"About what?"

"Something Edward said."

"Okay. What did he say?"

Harry sighed. "It's embarrassing."

"Oh… Okay," Jacob said, looking down at his hands. Harry leaned against the couch sideways, his arm supporting him as he looked at Jacob.

"He – he told me you were in love with me," Harry said, searching Jacob's face for a reaction.

"Is that all?" Jacob laughed at Harry's worried expression.

"He took me by surprise," Harry explained. He bit his lip nervously. "Are you?"

"I don't think so," Jacob said. "I mean, no. Er... I don't know. Is that alright?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know what's alright anymore."

Now Jacob watched Harry's discomfort inquisitively. He leaned forward and touched Harry's knee. Harry jerked his eyes up, staring into Jacob's deep brown ones. Jacob touched Harry's lips gently, titling his head with a curious expression on his face.

"Do you want to kiss me, Harry?" he asked hesitantly, unsure of what he was saying. Harry gulped. This was so different from Edward. He never asked Harry. He was never this undecided. He was never this human. Harry didn't deign to answer, but merely leaned forward to press Jacob's fingers harder against his lips. Jacob dragged his fingers away from Harry's lips and down to his chin, cupping it gently. He ran his eyes down Harry's face, his brows furrowed slightly. Harry held still under his inspection.

"Only if you want to, Jacob," Harry said.

"I – I'm –" Jacob trailed off, his eyes resting on Harry's soft lips. "What the hell, right?" he said, laughing nervously. He leaned into Harry, his eyes half-closed. Harry felt Jacob's body heat touching him for inches away and his pulse quickened.

"Yeah, what the hell," Harry breathed, closing the distance between them. They pressed their lips against each other clumsily. Harry ran his hand lightly against Jacob's cheek, holding him steady. Jacob kept his hands to himself, uncertain of what to do with them. It was over in five seconds, as both pulled away quickly. Jacob's frown had deepened by then, and his lip twitched down with confusion.

"I – um…" he muttered.

"Yes. Awkward," Harry nodded.

"Yeah," Jacob said, running his hand over his lips. "Awkward," he repeated, leaning towards Harry and capturing his lips again. Harry gasped into Jacob's timid mouth, feeling the pressure increasing against him. He grabbed Jacob's shirt, pulling him in closer. Jacob ran his hands down Harry's sides slowly, resting on his hips. He moved his lips against Harry's softly, tugging at them softly. Harry opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. Jacob groaned as he drank in more of Harry. They broke apart after a minute, eyes glazed.

"Better?" Jacob asked heavily. He unwound his hands from Harry's hips.

"Much," Harry replied, letting go of Jacob's shirt.

They looked back at the TV, which was now playing a commercial. Harry was eerily comfortable and he felt slightly unnerved because of that. He snuck a look at Jacob's stiff body. The shapeshifter was staring at the TV with purpose. Harry raked his hands through his hair and smiled sheepishly to himself.

"You want to know what else Edward told me?"

"What?" Jacob asked calmly, never letting his eyes move away from the screen.

"Edward also told me that shapeshifters who imprinted usually marry their imprintees."

Jacob let out a growl as he launched himself at Harry, fiercely attacking his lips with insistent kisses. Harry fell back onto the couch against Jacob's weight, his breath taken away by Jacob's passion. He tugged at Jacob's shirt, trying to wrench it off. Jacob broke his kisses for a split second, pulling his shirt off. Harry groaned thickly at the sight of Jacob's muscled body, but it was quickly stifled with Jacob's lips. They were opening Harry's mouth hungrily and Jacob's tongue flicked into it languidly. Harry melted in Jacob's hands as he felt the heat increasing around him. Jacob's hands quickly moved to unbutton Harry's shirt, fumbling. With a snarl, he gave up, ripping the buttons off and opening the shirt with flourish. Harry whimpered into Jacob's mouth when he felt hot hands raking his toned torso.

Jacob moved away from Harry's lips and made his way down to Harry's neck, nipping it lightly with his teeth. Harry let out a strangled cry when their arousals brushed against each other. He dug his fingers into the couch, arching his back unconsciously. Jacob gasped, biting into Harry. He trailed his kisses from Harry's neck to his chest. Harry threw his head back sharply as Jacob moved against him. His mind was filling with heat and excitement. It was overwhelming him.

"A date," he gasped, pulling Jacob's head away. He rolled over, trapping Jacob's surprised body under him as they fell on the ground. He pinned Jacob down, kissing him senseless with bruising lips and tantalizing licks. "I want a date," he panted as he ran his hands over Jacob's muscled body, memorizing it. He kissed Jacob lightly at the dip of his collarbone, massaging his hips with light fingers. "Okay?" he asked, slipping lower to flick his tongue over Jacob's nipple. It took all of Jacob's strength to stop from throwing Harry off and ravishing him right then and there. His stomach quivered with excitement and lust as Harry pushed into him.

"Okay," he moaned, slamming his fist onto the floor when Harry nuzzled his shoulder. Splinters flew around them. "Sorry," Jacob said, feeling the floor blindly.

"I can fix it," Harry gasped, fitting himself against Jacob's mouth again. Jacob wrapped his arms around Harry's lean body, marveling at how perfect it felt. Harry felt his frenzy taking over and he quickly detached from Jacob, rolling away. The two men lay on the floor between the table and the couch, panting up at the ceiling.

"Maybe –" Jacob breathed heavily. "Maybe I do love you."

Harry chuckled. "I gathered… Fuck, that was brilliant," he groaned, rolling back onto Jacob and pushing his thirsty mouth into him again.

"I thought you wanted a date," Jacob said, his voice muffled.

"This first, date later," Harry muttered, wrapping his arms around Jacob's neck.

-x-


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N**: Sorry about lack of updates. Spent the whole weekend out in the sun, eating. And watched Inception (freakin' blew my mind). Also got an iPhone 4 yesterday. Overall, a super awesome weekend. Hence the really weak chapter. Erk, don't throw stones…

-x-

The date was to be a cheap dinner and a movie. Six in the evening found the two men seated in a semi-private booth at an Italian restaurant. The décor was cheesy and homely, with mismatched dinner sets and chairs. Jacob had picked the place, stating without reserve that he'd eaten the best lobster seaweed ravioli ever in that very diner. Harry took his word for it and decided to order the spaghetti.

"I thought you were the adventurous type," Jacob pouted over the menu when Harry told him.

"I've had enough adventure. I don't mind settling for a typical Italian dinner tonight."

The waitress hurried over to the gentlemen, flirtatiously taking their orders. With one last waggle of her hips a minute later, she was off, leaving the two men alone.

"So, tell me something about yourself. Your family," Harry said.

Jacob sipped his soda. "Well, you met my dad. And I have two sisters, twins. They're four years older. Rebecca is surfing it up in Hawaii and Rachel – she left after mom died. She's just traveling now."

"How'd your mum die?"

"Car accident. It's all kinda hazy. I was twelve," Jacob sighed. "Rachel and Rebecca couldn't handle living here, so they moved away."

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's alright. That _is_ my family, after all."

"When did you know about –" Harry looked at Jacob pointedly.

"A summer ago. It started off as a fever. Then…" Jacob shrugged.

"How?"

"It's genetic. My ancestors had the ability. It only appears in generations that encounter blood-suckers."

Harry blinked. "Wait, you – you're shapeshifters _because_ of the Cullens?"

Jacob's eyes darkened. "Yes," he said curtly.

"I didn't know."

"We are what you would call arch enemies. Shapeshifters pretty much formed so we could kill the leeches before they can kill our families."

"But the Cullens aren't a threat…"

"Think of it as a precaution," Jacob answered forebodingly.

Harry played with his fork, resting it on its side and then watching it tumble. "Do you mind?" he asked, not letting his eye leave the fork.

"Not anymore. When I first changed, it was difficult and painful. I blamed them for everything. But I've come to terms with it now. Not much else I can do," Jacob shrugged.

"I'm glad you are who you are, Jacob," Harry said firmly, glancing up with his clear green eyes. Jacob's lips formed a slow smile.

"Should've bought a puppy," he replied, drinking his soda nonchalantly. Harry winked.

"You left everything behind, didn't you?" Jacob asked.

Harry bit his lip thoughtfully. "Well… yes, I did. I mean, I wanted to start fresh, you know? But to do that, I needed to leave everything behind. Besides, it's not like I _never_ see my friends. Just not as often," he explained.

"Do you ever think about moving back, what with all the crap life's dishing out to you here?"

"It's not all crap," Harry said while grinning. "No, I don't think of moving back."

"What were you doing the two years after school?"

"I was in training to be an Auror. Aurors are wizards who work for the Ministry of Magic to help whenever Dark Magic is at work. It's a three-year training program. I guess I realized that I was done fighting. I know, it sounds selfish, but I just –"

"Harry, how the hell is that selfish?" Jacob interjected. "You sacrificed _yourself_ to save your friends. That's about as selfless as it gets."

"I – um… I don't know. I guess I thought that I should've stayed to – finish the job, so to speak," Harry stammered, staring at his glass of water.

"I really doubt anyone else thinks so."

"Maybe…"

Jacob put his hand on top of Harry's, gently moving his thumb over it. Harry felt warmth exploding from his spine to his fingers and he shivered against it. "You have such a strange effect on me," Harry muttered.

"Good strange, right?"

Harry chuckled as he nodded. "Maybe it's because you know everything about me. It's so easy to talk to you. A change, really."

"I'm glad."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, glancing up at each other occasionally. The waitress swayed back to their table, placing their orders in front of them before winking slyly. She flipped her hair languidly before walking back to the kitchen. Jacob and Harry grinned helplessly at the display before turning to their steaming food.

"So," Harry asked between slurps of his spaghetti. "What's it like having your pack in your head?"

Jacob propped his elbow on the table, waving the fork as he spoke. "Very creepy at first. I couldn't control what I thought and they couldn't control what they thought. Led to _many_ awkward moments. But now, we can kind of block off a part of our minds by focusing on other parts of it. So they don't have to listen to _everything_ I think and I don't have to listen to everything they think. Thank goodness. Some of them have the dirtiest minds…" Jacob stabbed the ravioli and popped it into his mouth.

"I can't imagine what that's like," Harry mused.

"Well, it helps bring us closer. We know so much about each other, it's like having ten brothers."

Harry smiled at the thought. He was taking a gulp of his water when Jacob spoke again.

"So, tell me about your exes."

Harry chocked, sputtering water on the table. He coughed it out, his eyes watering. He shook his head at Jacob's lack of tact.

"What?" Jacob asked, holding his hands up. "Just wondering."

Harry swiped the napkin under his chin vehemently, glaring at Jacob. He cleared his sore throat. "Um… Not much to say in that department."

"Oh, I'd have thought otherwise."

"I have – a couple. Well, just one, really. The other one was just – a _really_ bad kiss. But Ginny… Yeah, I guess you could call her my ex. We – got together in sixth year. We had a falling out after the Battle," Harry shifted uneasily. "The thing is, she's my best friend's little sister."

Jacob raised his brow in astonishment. "You dumped your best friend's little sister."

"No, she dumped me," Harry corrected. "I couldn't handle the relationship after everything – I mean, I didn't have the energy to –"

"It's alright, I understand," Jacob said, nodding.

"We're still great friends. Just not the romantic type," Harry shrugged softly.

They lapsed into silence. Jacob kept looking up at Harry expectantly. Harry didn't deign to respond to Jacob's insistent looks. After a few minutes, Jacob gave up.

"Aren't you going to ask me about mine?" he asked, miffed.

Harry shrugged, playing along. "Not really."

"Fine," Jacob said, trying to be nonchalant. Harry chuckled.

"If you really want to tell me, then do," he said, nodding graciously.

Jacob narrowed his eyes at Harry, pursing his lips. "I don't have any," he muttered.

"Hmm… Pity."

Jacob scowled. "Why?"

"They really missed out."

The scowl turned into a full grin. "That's true."

They spent the next hour talking about their lives. Jacob was enthralled with Harry's descriptions of Hogwarts and his friends. Harry gaped at Jacob's accounts of the rash acts he'd performed with his pack after they'd shifted. They hardly noticed the time go by, eating slowly and talking rapidly. Jacob seemed to have an insatiable stomach – he ordered two more plates of ravioli. Harry's sweet tooth got the better of him as he ordered the chocolate mousse. By the time the dessert and coffees were finished, they were stuffed to the brim and pleasantly drowsy.

"It's too late to go for the movie now," Jacob said, glancing at his watch.

"That's fine. It's _way_ past your bedtime anyway," Harry replied cheekily as they walked to his car. After much insistence, he let Jacob drive. It was a smooth enough ride. As they parked in Harry's driveway, Harry smiled to himself.

"If you keep this up, I'll start expecting you to drive me around," he said, getting out of the car.

"That wouldn't be a bad deal on my end," Jacob winked. Harry grinned at Jacob.

"Do you realize I've only known you for three weeks now?" he asked walking to his front door.

"Hmm… Seems like I've known you forever," Jacob murmured, following him.

Harry stopped at his door, turning around to face Jacob. "Here I am," he said, shrugging casually.

"Yes," Jacob said softly.

Harry threw his arms around Jacob's neck, kissing him flush in the mouth. Jacob staggered back in surprise, feeling Harry's heart race against him. He moved his hands around Harry's lean waist and lifted him off the ground. Jacob felt cold touches on his cheeks as Harry moved his fingers to it. Jacob pushed in, wanting to taste more. Harry's back arched against Jacob's force and his lips parted eagerly. Jacob moaned at the response and pinned Harry against the door, quenching his thirst rapidly. Harry's legs dangled under him as Jacob slid him up the wall with ease, bringing their faces at the same level. Harry forced out Jacob's tongue, inserting his own into Jacob's steamy mouth. It was messy, rough – everything Harry had imagined. He wrapped his legs around Jacob's large body, pulling him in. Harry whimpered as his arousal crushed against Jacob's stomach. Hearing the sound made Jacob growl impatiently. He spun around, with Harry still attached to him, and walked backwards into the door. It gave way without complaint, showering shards of wood onto the floor.

"Not my door," Harry groaned faintly as he heard the splintering of wood.

"You can fix it," Jacob murmured, pulling away from Harry's lips and attacking his neck. Harry dropped his dizzy head on Jacob's shoulder, letting Jacob access his neck with ease. Jacob was staggering down the hall, trying to figure out where he was going. He quickly gave up when he found out that he couldn't think with Harry's breath sending shivers down his spine. It didn't help when Harry bucked against Jacob impulsively. Jacob felt his knees buckle as his erection brushed against Harry and he fell back onto the wall, detaching from Harry's neck. He pushed his hands up Harry's shirt, caressing his cold back. Harry tightened his hold on Jacob when he felt the touch. He dragged his lips up to kiss Jacob slowly, letting his passion flow into Jacob. He ran his fingers down Jacob's face blindly, trying to capture the feel of it in memory. He sighed into Jacob's lips.

"You're so perfect."

Jacob's stomach fluttered and he opened his eyes. He stared into Harry's calm face and soft smile. He wanted to hold onto Harry forever. He never wanted to leave Harry's cooling embrace. He tightened his grip on the lean man protectively, leaning his forehead against Harry's. He took a shaky breath, trying to calm his emotions. He frowned when he wasn't able to. The overwhelming urge to shield was digging into him. He took another shaky breath, fear gripping him.

"Harry, something –" he broke off when he felt the pull on his magic growing stronger. Harry saw Jacob struggling and he let go.

"_No_," Jacob gasped when he felt Harry's body moving away. He drew Harry closer than ever, enveloping him in a trembling embrace. "Don't," he whispered.

"Jake, what's wrong?" Harry asked, his voice muffled against Jacob's body. He breathed in the arousing scent as he felt warmth washing over him. He wrapped his arms around Jacob's wide chest, holding him.

"I don't know. Something – something's happening," he stuttered. "Something bad is happening, Harry," he said urgently as realization struck.

Harry froze against Jacob, trying to pull away again to look at him. But Jacob wouldn't let go. "What do you mean?" Harry asked, his heart hammering in his chest. He felt Jacob's heart racing rapidly too. "Jacob?"

Loud whistling engulfed the house. Someone had tripped the Caterwauling Charm. "Jake, let go," Harry muttered, tensing. Jacob shook his head vehemently. "Please," Harry pleaded. "I'll be alright," he said reassuringly.

"You won't," Jacob said, his voice cracking under the stress. Harry felt the warmth being sucked out of Jacob and he shivered. His stomach dropped as nausea took over.

"Jacob," Harry hissed, pushing away with as much strength as he could gather. He stumbled back when he met with no resistance. Jacob's face was drawn as he felt the Dementors moving in. Their breaths condensed around them. Harry fumbled for his wand, grabbing Jacob's hand and pulling him into the living room.

"Harry, what's happening?" Jacob asked pitifully, feeling helpless and fatigued. Harry groaned at Jacob's fear, placing a soft hand on his cheek.

"I'm so sorry," Harry whispered, feeling the despair overwhelm him. He shrugged it off, gathering all his positive energy and pouring it into his wand. He pointed it at his door, waiting for the hooded creatures to swoop in. He clutched Jacob's hand behind his back, steeling himself.

"_Expulso_," a voice commanded from behind the door. The door flew open, banging against the wall as it clattered off of its hinges. Harry found himself facing masked Death Eaters. Confusion took over for a moment before he snapped to his senses.

"_Expelliarmus_," he shouted abruptly, sending the first three Death Eaters flying back. Unfortunately, one wizard, when pitted against ten, would be hard pressed to use another spell with that success. Harry was hit with five simultaneous Cruciatus Curses. He heard ripping and growling behind him as he fell to the ground. He tried to warn Jacob, but all he could let out were bone-chilling screams. His mind exploded with agony and he heard nothing other than his own pain. He convulsed on the floor, tortured by the insistent curses. He saw Jacob lunging at the Death Eaters with a loud snarl. The wolf moved with amazing ferocity, biting and tearing at the masked wizards. The Death Eaters stumbled back at the sudden appearance of the seven-foot wolf. Harry felt a few of the curses falling off of him. He opened his teary eyes to see Jacob dodging errant spells and swiping at the Death Eaters with his large claws. The room was riddled with blood and pained cries. Harry chocked when he heard his mother's pleading. _Dementors_. He tried to lift up his wand arm, but his body was thrashing with pain. His vision started to turn red as his mind began to give up. He followed Jacob with his blurry eyes and cried in pain when he saw the wolf being tossed back, knocked unconscious by a spell. The agony suddenly stopped as the Death Eaters paused to examine the strange creature that was lying in a heap by the wall. Harry's tired body couldn't move. All he could do was watch. Tears ran down his face as he watched the Death Eaters prod at Jacob, randomly hitting him with curses. The wolf whined in pain, but couldn't move either. Harry felt the Dementors wandering the hall, drawing away all his hope. He shivered violently with shock and grief.

Harry's stomach heaved when he heard the Death Eaters laughing menacingly. "_Avada –_"

Harry drew up his wand steadily. "_Sectumsempra_," he hissed and slashed. The Death Eaters watched in horror as their bodies were carved with an invisible sword. They turned to him, pointing shaky wands at him. But before they could curse the man on the floor, a cold voice stopped them.

"No. Leave him. And let the Dementors in," Antonin Dolohov said calmly.

The Dementors floated in at the summons. Harry looked wildly at Jacob's limp body. He tried to conjure up his Patronus, but he couldn't remember how. He couldn't remember anything except for Jacob's terrified eyes. Harry sobbed heavily as his mother's screams resounded in him. The last thing he saw was a flash of green.

-x-


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N**: I always knew you guys were junkies… Hope you don't mind angst!

-x-

The Cullens staggered to a halt outside the house at the sight of the broken door.

"Jacob," Edward muttered inaudibly to his family. They nodded, stepping over the splintered wood. The house was in disarray. Photos were smashed, walls were cracked, and the lights were out. Jasper gasped and disappeared out of the house at the heavy scent of blood. Rosalie and Emmett rushed after him. Alice followed them with her eyes but didn't leave. It was deathly quiet except for an unusual heartbeat. Edward led them down the hall, listening intently. He stopped at the door of the living room and groaned as the blood threatened to drive him into frenzy. Carlisle placed a steady hand on Edward, calming him down.

Esme opened the door reluctantly, gasping as she found the room in shambles. Blood streaked the floor and walls. The couches were upturned, the table was smashed, and the ceiling had gaping holes in it. Drywall littered the room, coating everything in thin white dust. She caught no bodies except for the wolf on one end of the room. She blurred, dropping to her knees in front of Jacob. "Edward?" she asked, tilting her head.

"I don't – it's too – I can't concentrate," Edward murmured shakily.

"It's for Harry, Edward," Alice said.

"I know," Edward growled. Carlisle had rushed to Jacob's curled body as well, assessing all the damage. Edward squeezed his eyes shut, trying to dissipate the excitement he felt from the blood around him. He was wrenched out of his stupor when he heard – "Wolves," he warned. The Cullens turned as one as they heard Jacob's pack whipping out of the forest and into the house at an astonishing speed. The ten hulking wolves bared their teeth and stopped at the door to the living room, having smelt the Cullens and the blood.

"It wasn't us," Edward said tersely as he heard the horrific thoughts the pack were having. The pack shifted uneasily in the hall as Jacob's erratic thoughts clamored into their heads. Edward could now hear Jacob in ten different minds. He honed in.

"There were ten or more," he relayed to his family, "and wore masks. Harry – oh," he groaned at the description. "Har – he was – tortured, I think. And Jacob shifted. He attacked them; that's where all the blood is from. Then – then he blacked out. Carlisle, he's in pain," Edward ended hurriedly.

Carlisle shook his head. "I don't know _how_ he's still alive," he muttered, feeling Jacob's crushed ribs and broken limbs.

_He dug into the grass to root him down. The pain – it never stopped. The agony – it grew past his threshold. But he wouldn't let himself shout. He couldn't give them the satisfaction of breaking him._

"It's because Harry's still alive…" Edward breathed.

-x-

The Cullen household was swarming with people. Shapeshifters never left Jacob's side, who had shifted back unsteadily as his energy drained. His face was scrunched into a look of agony, but he didn't make a sound. He seemed to be catatonic. Hermione was at his side every hour, trying to clean up the mess inside his body. His body had the ability to heal, but Hermione needed to set the structures before Jacob could start healing himself. The rest of the house crawled with wizards and witches. The Cullens stayed out of the way, answering all questions and providing information whenever they could.

"_You have no idea how long we've waited for this."_

_He coughed thickly, nearly drowning out the words before it could reach him. He didn't deign to respond._

"_We could cut right to the chase, but you know us. Can't stop from having a bit of fun. Imperio."_

"_No," he said forcefully._

"_Stubborn as always? Pity… You do understand that death is the only way out of this, don't you?"_

Jacob struggled upright, his bones morphing painfully and rapidly. His eyes were dilated with fear and agony. He gasped for air, digging into the mattress.

"Jake! Oh, thank god," Embry cried. The pack sighed with relief.

"No," Jacob breathed, his hands trembling. "They – they're going to kill him," he said weakly. He stumbled out of bed blindly, his magic pulling him to Harry. His pack was stunned for a moment before they realized what was happening. Hands latched on to Jacob, holding him back before he could head to the door. Jacob growled menacingly, trying to break away. "He – I have – I have to go," he said as he tried to phase. Pain lanced through him and his body refused to be tortured any longer. His knees gave away and he would've fallen if his pack hadn't been holding on. "Oh god, they're hurting him," he moaned, his head exploding with pain.

Edward and Carlisle were by his side in an instant, having heard the commotion.

"How do you know?" Edward asked quietly.

"I can feel it," Jacob gasped as his stomach heaved.

"Can you see anything?" Carlisle asked.

Jacob shook his head. "I just hear it and he's – we need to – please," he garbled, panicking.

Hermione and Ron were panting as they struggled into the crowded room. "What's wrong?" Ron asked urgently.

"Harry… They're torturing him. Jake thinks they'll – kill him," Seth said.

"Oh!" Hermione brought her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide with terror. "B – But we don't – we don't know where –" she stammered.

"Wait, Jacob. You – you were going after him, weren't you? You know where he is, don't you?" Edward asked quickly.

Jacob blinked at the ground. His body was trembling with fear. "I – I don't know. I have to go," he repeated instinctively.

"He knows," Edward said, looking up at Jacob's pack. "Let him go." The men looked at each other indecisively. "He knows," Edward repeated slowly. The pack nodded curtly and let go of Jacob.

He promptly fell on all fours without the support. He heaved in painful gulps of air, his ears rushing with blood. He felt his body pushing up and lunging for the door, but his mind had no control over it. His instinct took over as he wrenched the door open and raced down the stairs, morphing painfully into his wolf form. He leapt through the house, swerving swiftly to avoid colliding with the numerous Aurors in the house. He heard the Cullens racing after him and his pack followed suit. But he had his mind on one thing alone – Harry.

"_Get up."_

_He tried to clear his mind as he heard the distant voice. He was jerked up with what felt like strings attached to his limbs. His head lulled forward with fatigue. He felt the end of a wand digging into his chest, atop his fluttering heart. He tried to look up but his head wasn't cooperating._

"_The Elder Wand. I want it," Dolohov hissed._

_His mind filled with dread. "You can't have it," he muttered heavily._

"_I had hoped you'd say that." The wand point left Harry's chest. "You see, the thing is, Dumbledore's tomb… No one can open it but you. And I need to get in," Dolohov tapped his wand against Harry's temple._

_He stifled his pain in his throat as he felt his mind being ripped apart. He tried to jerk away, but his unresponsive body stood limp._

Jacob let out a painful howl, stumbling to the ground. He quivered, panting against the agony in his mind.

"Dumbledore's tomb," Edward said. "They're going to Hogwarts."

-x-

Soft pops sounded in Hogsmeade, echoing through the empty shops. The moon was hidden behind the clouds as the Aurors lit their wands cautiously. The wolf pack staggered, dizzy from the Apparition. The Cullens stood still, letting the Aurors secure the perimeters. The long road was deserted and eerily silent. Ron gasped and stopped abruptly in front of Hog's Head.

"Here," he whispered urgently, waving at the Aurors. The door was ajar and the diner was a mess. The first Auror cast a charm over the inn, shaking his head at his team. They walked in cautiously, stepping over the broken tables and chairs.

"We have to go upstairs," Hermione insisted, her eyes wide with fear. The Aurors nodded silently, stepping out of the small room and up the rickety wooden stairs. The carnage continued up the stairs and into to the second floor landing. Hermione groaned when she saw Aberforth slumped on the ground beside the fireplace. She ran over, feeling for his pulse. With a sigh of relief she nodded. It appeared Ariana's painting had fared worse than Aberforth. She was kneeling in the bottom right corner of the frame, sobbing.

"Ariana, where are they?" Ron asked urgently. The girl pointed her finger down the painting.

"I'm sorry, I tried – they had him. They're going to Albus' – you have to hurry," she cried. The passage opened up in the portrait. The Aurors quickly stepped through, the wolves and the vampires following awkwardly. Jacob felt the pull growing rapidly as he got closer to Harry. He struggled against the urge to burst through the crowd of Aurors and run after Harry himself.

_He dropped to his knees in front of the stark white, marble grave. His mind exploded with memories and emotions as the Legilimency grew in strength. He struggled to breathe._

"_Ah, and who is this?" Dolohov asked calmly, stopping at the most recent memories – Jacob's terrified eyes._

_He struggled to clear his mind. But Dolohov continued to pull at him, vehemently extracting memory after thought – everything about the shapeshifter._

"_Interesting… Obliviate."_

Jacob jerked to a stop when he felt – nothing. He desperately tried to feel Harry, but he drew up with nothing. He was empty. His pack whimpered as they felt Jacob's terror. Edward stumbled to a halt, his golden eyes wide.

"What is it?" Alice asked. She hadn't been able to see anything for the past five hours and it was driving her to the edge.

"Harry…" Edward breathed. "Jacob can't – he can't feel him anymore."

Hermione stifled her cry as she clung to Ron painfully. "N – No, that's not – he can't be," Ron stammered in shock.

The Aurors looked at each other before racing down the passage. Jacob and his pack easily bypassed them, followed closely by the Cullens. They arrived at the other end, looking out into the Room of Requirements. Edward sifted through his memories, trying to remember everything he'd seen about Harry. He led the group out of Room, racing noiselessly down the flights of stairs. They leapt past the sleeping paintings, jumping down the banisters without inhibition. The stone cracked softly under the impact of the heavy wolves and marble vampires. They raced into the main lobby, rushing to the large front doors and wrenching them open. Edward closed his eyes to file through his memories.

"There," he pointed towards the lake. The wolves sprinted across the greenhouses and past the Quidditch field. The lake was black as ink against the starless skies. Jacob's heart dropped when he flew towards the clearing between the trees by the lake – where Albus Dumbledore was laid to rest. The vampires raced through the overgrown grass, snarling with fury. The wolves growled and soared through the air, landing heavily by the trees. Jacob howled menacingly when he saw the cloaked wizards turn in terror to look at the creatures.

They didn't have time to draw up the wands. They were struck to the ground by wolves and vampires alike. Their bodies crushed against the weight. The Cullens swiftly dodged erratic spells, whipping the Death Eaters towards the trees. The wolves clawed and bit their way through to the gravesite. Jacob whimpered when he spotted Harry's still body by the white tomb. His fury increased tenfold and he growled, swiping his paw with lightning speed. The lakeshore was soon riddled with bodies. The fight was over in under a minute. The wolves panted heavily, surveying the Death Eaters with disgust. Jacob was by Harry's side now, afraid to approach him.

"He's alive," Carlisle sighed, his shoulders sagging with relief.

Jacob glanced sharply at Carlisle before staring at Harry. He couldn't feel the pull towards Harry. A whimper escaped him as he nudged Harry with his snout. Harry didn't respond. He turned Harry towards him, staring into the peaceful face that appeared to be sleeping. He pressed his nose against Harry's shoulder, breathing in heavily. Something was wrong.

"He'll be alright, Jacob," Edward said, kneeling down beside the wolf.

_He's not_, Jacob thought, tearing dripping down his eyes.

-x-


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N**: You know you love it. No use denying it.

-x-

Harry jerked awake, sitting up forcefully. His eyes refused to focus and he saw black edges lining his vision. He blinked furiously, looking wildly around him.

"What the hell?"

He was back in Madame Pomfrey's Hospital Wing.

"Oh good, you're awake," Madame Pomfrey's cheerful voice sounded from behind the curtained barrier.

Harry's confusion grew rapidly. He struggled out of bed, lurching as his legs threatened to give away. The nurse appeared around the corner, shaking her head at Harry.

"Couldn't stay out of trouble, Mr. Potter?" she asked, swiping her wand at Harry. He felt a force pushing him down and he sat heavily on the bed. He gulped nervously. Madame Pomfrey had this effect on him. She was always so disappointed with him.

"I'll send in your visitors," she said, pushing a vial into Harry's trembling hand and looking at him sternly. He quickly swallowed the potion, feeling his energy being boosted up. The door to his room burst open and Harry leapt under his covers, drawing it up to his chin.

"Harry Potter, don't you_ dare_ scare us like that _ever again_!" Hermione screeched, running up to his bed and throwing herself at him. Harry was knocked onto his back when Ron's body joined the hug.

"I – er… Sorry," Harry mumbled, trying to sort his life out. "What – why am I here?"

"The Death Eaters brought you here," Ron said, his voice muffled against Harry's shoulder.

"Oh. Right… Wait – did they –"

"No, they didn't."

Harry relaxed into the hug. "Good. And – I can't breathe," he said.

"Oh, sorry." Hermione and Ron released him. "You've been out cold for a whole day! How do you feel?" Ron asked.

"I'm still – I can't really remember everything," Harry said, frowning. His mind tried to fill in the blank gaps and that led to more bewilderment. He snorted humorlessly. "I – wow, I can't remember _anything_," he said.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other with apprehension. "What do you mean?"

"I'm just tired, that's all," Harry sighed.

"No, Harry, what do you mean you can't remember anything?"

"I – I don't know," he said worriedly, catching Ron and Hermione's expressions. "Just… blank."

"Harry, what do you remember?" Hermione asked urgently.

"Really, it's nothing to fret about. I just can't remember how – where – I mean, I remember… Er, the last thing I remember is – Edward?" he stammered, blushing at his encounter with the vampire.

"When?"

Harry shrugged. "Yesterday, I guess. It didn't – it didn't go over so well," he said.

"Harry, what day is it?"

"Wow, Hermione, you're being super paranoid. I don't know – isn't it like February twenty-third, or something?"

Ron gaped, open-mouthed. "Harry, it's April fifth."

Harry frowned, opening his mouth to speak. He snapped it shut when he saw that his friends weren't joking. "What?" he breathed, his heart dropping. He struggled to remember what had happened after Edward had kissed him in the bookstore. He remembered getting into his car. Then he was somehow on the beach. And then – it was black. "I can't –" he said, crushing the palms of his hands to his eyes. "What happened?" he asked.

"I – I'm going to get Madame Pomfrey," Hermione said, rushing out of the room. Ron sat on the chair beside Harry's bed, his eyes wide with horror.

Harry rewound his memory, trying to catch it off guard. He remembered the school and his students. He remembered the Cullen house and the town. He remembered Edward and Bella. He remembered the rain and the cold. He remembered the pain. And – guilt. Guilt over something. _What am I missing?_ "Ron," Harry said, looking at his friend with pained eyes. "I – I don't know how I was taken. I can't remember them coming after me. I can't remember – Fuck!" He felt tears pooling in his eyes. He swiped them away furiously.

"They obliviated you, Harry," Ron said weakly.

Madame Pomfrey entered the room, moving her wand in patterns and murmuring charms. Harry felt soft tugging and pushing in his mind and he tried not to flinch. She sighed dejectedly. "Harry, what's the last thing you remember?" she asked softly.

"I – I was on a – a beach? I think… February twenty-third. Then just snippets of – I don't know, Death Eaters and Dementors. They wanted the Elder Wand. And then I was by the lake and now I'm here."

"Harry, you're missing a month and a half of your memory."

"But, I don't – it doesn't feel like –" Harry stammered.

"I know. But you understand, right?" the nurse asked, placing a warm hand on Harry's. He nodded mutely, willing his fear from rising too far.

The door opened slowly and Alice's little head popped in. "Can we come in yet?" she asked.

"Alice? What – what are you doing here?" Harry asked, taken aback by the sudden appearance.

She stepped into the room lightly. "Saving you, of course!"

"Oh," Harry frowned. His mind was overworked by now and he was half certain that he was delirious.

"So, can we come in?" she asked again. Harry looked at Madame Pomfrey, who sighed and nodded tiredly.

Alice shone a brilliant smile at the room before opening the door wider to let the Cullens in.

"Wait – you're all – um…" Harry started saying, trailing off when Edward entered, grinning marvelously. Harry just about died of mortification. He blushed himself beet red and ducked his head. He was confused as to why Edward looked so happy. He looked less than happy when they'd met last. _Maybe it changed over the past month_. Harry closed his eyes in frustration.

Hermione was quick to fill them in. "He – He's lost his memory."

The Cullens froze. "What?"

"Just part of it," Hermione added rapidly.

"Which part?"

"March," Harry muttered staring at his bed.

"You're… missing a whole month?" Emmett asked in astonishment.

"Yes."

"But you're alright, aren't you?" Edward asked softly. Harry's heart fluttered unusually. He nodded, not trusting his voice.

"Good," Edward said, touching Harry's shoulder lightly. Harry shivered impulsively at the cold touch.

Harry was snapped out of his daze when he heard commotion outside the ward. He looked up in time to see a muscled young man stumbling into the room, apparently having been pushed. He tried to back away from the dozen eyes staring at him, but was pushed back into the room with force. He staggered to a halt with a nervous expression on his face. Harry eyed the man curiously. His eyes were downturned and he shuffled his feet uncertainly. After a few moments, he looked up at Harry, pushing his hands into his pockets. Harry felt warmth flow through him as he looked into the large brown eyes.

"Hi," the man said simply.

"H – Hi," Harry replied, blinking away his confusion.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, unsure of what to do.

"You don't remember, do you?" Edward asked slowly, realization dawning on him. Harry looked up, his brows drawn together.

"Remember what?"

"Who he is."

Harry blinked at Edward's solemn face. He looked back at tall man. His frown deepened as he shook his head. "I'm sorry, I – I don't."

"What do you mean he doesn't remember?" Jacob asked shakily.

"He – he's lost his memory of the last month," Alice said softly.

"Oh," Jacob breathed, feeling winded as his heart dropped. He couldn't feel Harry because Harry had forgotten him. "Oh," he said again, his voice strangled as he stepped back. "Harry, you know me, don't you?" he asked thickly.

Harry felt his heart hammering at the man's question. He tried to see if he could place the man anywhere in his memories. He closed his eyes against the man's emotion and shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said again, feeling helpless.

Jacob closed the distance between them in two strides, grasping Harry's hand. Harry felt magic coursing through him, leaving him unsettled and nervous. He tried to wrench his hand away from the Jacob's as the heady rush of magic flew through him.

"Let go," Harry said vehemently. His hand was released instantly. He heaved in the air as he tried to calm his mind. "Wh – what are you?" he asked, staring at his now-cooling hand.

Jacob cupped Harry's chin, drawing it up. Harry was too stunned to move and he looked into Jacob's eyes. He gasped when he felt a flash of terror and guilt. He scrambled away, nausea filling him. Jacob flinched back when Harry moved away from him. "You don't remember me," he murmured. Harry's heart stumbled over itself as the emotions washed over him. He watched Jacob straighten up and glance at Harry with clouded eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief when the large man left the room wordlessly.

"Who was he?" Harry asked, breathing heavily from the panic and looking at the closed door. He didn't receive an answer. "Who was he?" he asked again, slowly.

Alice gripped Harry's arm lightly. "That's Jacob."

-x-

**A/N: **Oh, stop whining. I was going to have Jacob walk in on Harry and Edward kissing. Would that have been better? I didn't think so.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N**: See? You just had to wait one chapter. Aren't I nice?

-x-

Much to Hermione's chagrin, Harry insisted on going back to Forks. And much to Harry's chagrin, Hermione insisted on going with him. Ron grumbled as he moved into Harry's house. Hermione had cleaned up the house in preparation for Harry's arrival.

"Okay, don't be too surprised," Hermione warned Harry. He groaned at the comment, steeling himself.

Hermione threw open the door and let Harry walk in first. He stopped at the doorjamb, frowning at the hall. "Where're my pictures?" he asked.

"The ones that weren't ruined are in the living room," Hermione said. Harry stepped into the house.

"And my table?" Harry asked, looking for it.

"Erm… Gone."

Harry shuffled to his kitchen, sighing with relief to find it relatively unscathed. He opened the door to his living room, peering in. "Hermione," he groaned.

Hermione's version of 'artful decoration' was not the same as Harry's.

"My couch! My coffee table! My lamps! Where's my TV?"

Hermione made a noise of consternation. "Look, if you don't like it, change it. I have two hours to do this, so stop complaining."

"B – But did you really have to go with blue sofas? And green wallpaper?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron nodded behind her back in agreement with Harry. Harry shuddered as he glanced at the room one last time before going up to his bedroom.

That night, the Cullens had invited the three for dinner. Edward greeted them at the door, as always. Ron and Hermione walked in, greeting the Cullens cheerfully in the living room. Harry edged past the vampire, not meeting his smile.

"Harry," Edward murmured, tugging at the hem of Harry's shirt. Harry stopped mid-stride, his heart at his throat. "We need to talk," Edward said, dragging him out of the house and into the front yard.

"Wh – what?" Harry stammered as he was led away from the house. Edward didn't answer, merely satisfying himself by pulling Harry towards the trees. He stopped by a stump, motioning for Harry to sit. Harry sat hesitantly, unsure of what Edward wanted.

"There's nothing between us," Edward said quietly, staring into Harry's green eyes.

"I – er… What?"

"Okay, there's something between us," Edward corrected himself. "But it's not – it's only – well, _you_ told me it was just infatuation, but I guess you don't remember."

"Oh."

The two men stared at each other. Harry forced his eye down, staring at the weeds growing around the trees. "What happened?"

Edward smiled softly. "Jacob happened."

Harry twitched his head at Jacob's name. Edward continued.

"Jacob – he's a shapeshifter. He – well, after that – after the bookstore incident, I guess that's when you met Jacob. He imprinted on you, Harry."

Harry frowned helplessly. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Edward. Shapeshifter?"

"He can turn into a wolf at will. And shapeshifters often imprint when – when they find their soul mates, Harry."

"But that means I'm – oh," Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, you are. But something happened. You forgot about him. And the imprinting, I don't know, it just stopped."

Harry swallowed thickly. "What's done is done, right?" he asked.

"No, Harry. It's not. Because… he loves you."

Harry's hands shook as he gripped his knees, trying to compose himself. "I can't," he whispered. "I don't even know him."

"You didn't know him a month ago, Harry. And you fell in love," Edward said easily.

"I don't know him," Harry repeated.

"Then get to know him," Edward insisted.

Harry sighed with frustration, getting up. "I can't handle this right now, Edward," he said, walking back to the house.

"You have no idea how much he cares about you," Edward said, stopping Harry in his tracks.

"Please, just – I'm – I can't," Harry muttered and started walking again, leaving Edward behind.

-x-

"Just call him up, ask him how he's doing…"

"Alice, I – I don't even know who he is. I mean, I don't even know his _last name_!"

"It's Black."

"Oh…"

"Anyways, here's his number. Give him a shout, maybe he can come visit."

"Alice, stop!"

"Here, just say, 'Hey! Want to go out for a drink?' and get it over with."

"_No_!"

"Wh – you just hung up on him!"

"I don't want to talk to him."

"You know, you were going on your first date that night."

"Um… Okay."

"Don't you want to know how it went?"

"_Alice!_"

"What? I don't know how it went. I thought you could ask him."

"You're so frustrating…"

-x-

The next morning, Harry found himself at the stony beach, staring out into the dawning horizon. It felt like déjà vu, standing there like he had a month ago. He sat down cross-legged on the sand, weaving patterns on it with his fingers.

"Hi."

Harry turned to look up at Jacob's towering body. "Um… hi," he said uncomfortably, staring back down at the sand. He heard Jacob shuffling on the stones uncertainly.

"I – um… I'm Jacob," he said.

"I know," Harry muttered, digging into the sand fiercely.

"You do…" Jacob said quietly. A few seconds later, he sat down on the ground beside Harry. "What do you know?"

Harry shrugged. "I know you're Jacob. I know you're a shapeshifter. I know you imprinted on me. I know you love me. I think I loved you. That's about it."

"You think you loved me."

"Edward says I did."

"Hmm… I know everything about you, did you know that?"

Harry pursed his lips and shook his head. Jacob continued.

"I know where you're from. I know how you got here. I know what you've been through. You showed me."

Harry stopped his fingers, listening intently but unwilling to look up at Jacob.

"You showed me your past. You showed me the stag, the one your father changed into." Harry flicked his eyes up at Jacob's. "You showed me the Battle. You showed me how you died. You told me about Hogwarts and your friends. I know everything about you…"

"I can't remember," Harry whispered hoarsely. Jacob placed his hand tentatively on Harry's cheek. He smiled when Harry stayed still.

"And you knew so little. But you trusted me, Harry. I was there when – " Jacob's voice cracked. "When they took you. And I tried, Harry," his eyes filled with tears. "I tried to stop them, but they – there were too many. You were in so much pain," he breathed, feeling the tears fall.

Harry closed his eyes against the terror and guilt again, unnerved. But he couldn't pull away. The warmth from Jacob's hand was pushing into him. "I'm sorry, I don't remember," he said, struggling to keep his voice steady.

Jacob groaned. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Harry. I just… I wanted you to know, okay?" he said. He let go of Harry. Harry stilled his moan as the heat left him. He watched Jacob get up with dazed eyes. His head was floating with emotions and thoughts. Jacob smiled warmly one last time before turning around and trudging up the beach.

"_Ah, and who is this?" Dolohov asked calmly, stopping at the most recent memories – Jacob's terrified eyes._

_He struggled to clear his mind. But Dolohov continued to pull at him, vehemently extracting memory after thought – everything about the shapeshifter_

Harry let out a strangled cry, clutching his stomach to stop his nausea. Jacob rushed back, kneeling beside Harry's trembling body.

"Harry, what's wrong?" he asked urgently, pulling Harry's face up.

Harry looked into Jacob's terrified eyes. He moaned in horror. "I – I know you," he said, tears streaming down his face. "I know your eyes. Oh god, I'm so sorry," he whimpered, moving away. He needed to get as far away from here as possible. But he couldn't wrench his eyes from Jacob's.

"For what, Harry?" Jacob asked, stopping Harry from getting up. Harry struggled against Jacob's grip.

"I don't know. I don't know. It wasn't supposed to happen. And you - " Harry felt more tears escaping him. "I have to go," he said shakily. "Let me go."

Jacob shook his head vehemently. "Harry, you remember something. I can't just – no, you're staying with me."

Harry tried to pull his arm away, but Jacob held steady. Panic gripped Harry as he felt his emotions weighing down on him. "If I don't go –"

"If you go, you'll hurt yourself," Jacob interrupted, looking at Harry with pained and pleading eyes.

"Jake, let go. Please, I'll be alright."

Jacob stilled as his heart skipped a beat. "You won't," he murmured, letting go.

Harry stared at Jacob with horror-stricken eyes, his mind reeling. "I know you," he uttered breathlessly, hurriedly locking lips with Jacob. He let all his fears flow out of him at the intimate touch. He clutched onto Jacob's shirt, trying to stop his emotions, but he couldn't. "I thought you were dead," he mumbled into Jacob's lips. He felt warm arms enveloping him. He crushed himself against Jacob, taking in all of him. Their tears ran together as they kissed hungrily. "I thought you were dead."

Jacob buried his head in Harry's shoulder, clutching him tightly. "I'm not, Harry. I'm right here," he said reassuringly, his heart leaping.

Harry wept into Jacob's chest, his body shuddering. He breathed in the musky scent, heat embracing him welcomingly. The relief coursing through him was enormous. Jacob ran his hands down Harry's back, calming him. Harry's sobs turned to gasps as he tried to get air into his quivering body. "I – I don't remember – I don't know - just – your eyes… And you're so warm. Don't let go."

"I won't."

A pull of magic burst in Harry and he sighed into Jacob, relaxing his body. Jacob gasped as the imprinting took hold of him. "Harry, I imprinted."

"Again…" Harry murmured, peace washing over his previously addled mind.

"Yes," Jacob said, dragging Harry up into a breathless kiss. Harry wrapped his arms around Jacob's neck, pushing down heavily. Jacob pulled Harry to him, falling back on the sand as his passion took over. Harry tugged at Jacob's lips, wanting to fill his mouth with Jacob. Jacob opened his mouth, letting Harry's wandering tongue in. Harry moaned at the heat that flowed through his mouth and into his head. He was dizzy with emotion and his hands clutched Jacob's hair as he pushed in. Jacob mumbled incoherently, drinking in Harry's fervor.

"I don't know anything about you, Jake," Harry said, his voice muffled against Jacob's swollen lips.

"What do you want to know?" Jacob asked, his hands roaming restlessly across Harry's back.

"Tell me something, anything," Harry whispered as he pulled away slightly, letting his lips rustle over Jacob's.

"I love you."

"I knew that."

"I love you more than life itself."

"I knew that."

"I love you more than you love me."

Harry smiled. "I knew that."

"I know you love me more than you love chocolates."

Harry blinked. "You know what? You're right…"

Jacob laughed into Harry's lips, pressing against them tightly.

Harry groaned into Jacob's mouth and ran his fingers blindly down Jacob's face. "You're so perfect," Harry sighed.

"And I'm all yours…"

- x-

**A/N:** Aw, isn't that so cute? **Gag**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

-x-

"So, how'd we meet?" Harry asked, dipping his bread into the steaming bowl of soup.

"You were on the beach, pretty upset about something. And I – snapped you out of it, I guess. Then you let me drive your car."

Harry quickly gulped his soup, staring at Jacob incredulously. "No, I didn't."

"Yeah, you did."

"_Why?_"

"Because you were in no condition to drive."

Harry blushed to think about why he was in no condition to drive. "Did I not tell you what happened?"

"No, I never asked."

"Do you want to know?" Harry asked, unsure of why he'd just said that.

Jacob looked at Harry's hesitant expression. "Only if you want to tell me…"

"It's my last memory. Before I woke up, I mean. It was – Edward. He was being infuriating," Harry mumbled.

Jacob didn't press on. "Then the second time, you were just there for no reason. You met my pack that day. You looked like you enjoyed it. You stayed for a few hours with us, then asked me what I was."

"And you told me…"

"And you told me."

Harry smiled weakly, eating his soup. Every moment he spent with Jacob caused him to wish for his memory back. Sometimes, Jacob would smile dreamily as he recounted the events, making Harry wonder what had caused the expression. And Jacob never mentioned everything. He would conveniently leave out the awkward or clumsy parts. But those were the parts that Harry wanted to know about, so he can console himself into thinking that he could be inelegant around Jacob.

"The next day, you were upset again. This time, worse than before. Seemed like you were going to crash into a tree when you fishtailed your car."

Harry blinked. "What? I would never –"

"You did. I was there."

Harry massaged his temple, inhaling shakily with frustration. "I wish I could remember."

"Don't worry, you forgot all about it when you saw us shift into wolves," Jacob said, winking slyly. "That's when you told us about yourself. That's when I first imprinted."

"This doesn't sound like me, Jacob. I don't – I'm not even the same _person_. I'd never tell you about myself. I mean, it's so personal, why would I –" Harry let his spoon clatter into the bowl, rubbing his face vehemently with his hands.

"You told us because you needed to tell someone, Harry. You keep it all inside."

"I'm used to it," Harry said, his voice muffled. "I have to go," he said, pushing away from the table and standing up. "Thanks for lunch," he said, throwing down a few bills and walking out of the diner. Jacob watched him go, disappointment clouding his eyes.

-x-

"Do you want to hear more?" Jacob asked as they walked down the warm beach. Harry had his shoes in his hands, letting his feet drag across the lapping waves. He kept his eyes down, nodding.

"After I imprinted, you wanted to talk to me. Alone. So we did. And you told me about Edward."

Harry's eyes widened, and he looked up at Jacob with horror. "What do you mean?" his voice filled with dread.

"You told me you loved him. You asked if that was okay. Especially since you'd just kissed Edward when you knew he was with Bella."

Harry let out a strangled moan, stopping in his tracks. "What?"

Jacob wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulder, squeezing him gently. "Bella knows, Harry. There's nothing to feel guilty about."

"I – I can't have. I mean – I can't believe I'd do that."

"Harry, this happened two months ago. He knows you didn't mean anything by it. She knows you didn't mean anything by it. It happened, you were confused and that's that."

Harry didn't answer. He gently pulled away from Jacob and continued to walk down the beach. Jacob followed, walking slightly behind Harry.

"Then you showed me your magic."

"Hmm…"

"You showed me the blue stag and then you hung me up on my ankle. Then you transported me back to my pack. You tickled Seth half to death," Jacob chuckled to himself at the memory.

Harry didn't respond, his shoulder slouched as he splashed through the thin water.

"And that night, you showed me your life…"

"Jacob…"

"More later then," Jacob said, sensing Harry's overwhelmed emotions.

-x-

"How did I show you?" Harry asked, putting his book down on the table. Jacob looked at Harry questioningly over his homework. "How did I show you my life?" Harry clarified.

Jacob put down his pen, stretching his cramped fingers. "Um… Edward found out about you and Bella planning on –" he flinched, "breaking up with him. He wasn't all that happy about it. So he –"

"He opened my mind," Harry filled in, anger seeping into his eyes. "I told him not to…"

"He was – he was miserable, Harry. The two people he loved – or thought he loved – had just asked him to choose. Choose whom he wanted to be with. He hesitated too long and you – you –"

"So he opened my mind. Then?" Harry asked, wanting to hear the rest.

"Everything flew out of you, I guess. Your thoughts, emotions, memories. Edward and Alice saw it all. And I – when you touched me, I _felt _it all. It was like I was there with you when it all happened. It was –" Jacob closed his eyes, shuddering at the pain.

"- personal…" Harry mumbled.

"Harry," Jacob said softly, touching Harry's hand. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Harry shifted his hand away from Jacob, his pulse beating rapidly at the innocent touch. "I know…"

"Because I love you."

"And I love you."

"But not the way I want you to love me, Harry."

Harry raised his eyes up to meet Jacob's warm brown ones. "No, not yet…"

-x-

"After you met Edward and talked everything through with him, you wanted to kiss me," Jacob said concisely.

Harry scoffed. "I'm sure you're missing some important parts in between, Jacob."

"Well, you already know the important parts," Jacob said, stirring the pasta sauce.

"No, I don't."

"Edward told you that I love you. Then he told you that most imprintees marry their shapeshifters. Then you got a stubborn idea in your head. Then you tried to entice me into kissing you."

Harry laughed helplessly at the chain of events. "Again, doesn't sound the least bit romantic."

"Oh, it wasn't," Jacob said, glancing at Harry. "We were on your damn couch, eating leftovers. It was freakin' awkward."

"I bet," Harry muttered, blushing at the thought of his inexperienced kisses.

"The third try was pretty hot though," Jacob said nonchalantly, watching Harry's expression change from embarrassment to shock to – lust, causing Jacob's breath to hitch – and then back to embarrassment.

"Really?" Harry asked, whipping around and rifling through the fridge with ferocity.

"Yeah, really," Jacob said, smiling slightly as he turned back to the stove.

"Then?"

"Then you wanted a date. So we went for one. And that night, you were taken."

"Okay."

-x-

Harry's body wracked with pain as he thrashed on the wet grass. He needed to get away before they took the memories from him. All he saw was red. He tried to scream, but it kept getting caught in his throat. He shivered as the dampness chilled him. He struggled to breathe under the Cruciatus Curse.

He opened his eyes to find himself enveloped in warm hands. He frowned in confusion, panic striking his heart with fervor. Then the blood rushing to his ears slowed, letting in other sounds over his heartbeat.

"Just a dream, Harry," Jacob murmured. Harry relaxed into the inviting body, turning his teary face towards Jacob's shirt. He curled into himself, his knees touching Jacob's thighs and his head resting against Jacob's chest.

"I know," Harry replied groggily, wrapping his arms around Jacob. He breathed in the musky scent, feeling Jacob place a soft kiss of Harry's hair. "Don't let go," Harry whispered.

"I won't."

It seemed mere minutes later that he was woken up by the relentless cawing outside his windows. "Bloody birds," he muttered, shifting. His eye flew open as he felt Jacob's body under him. "Shit," he yelped, scrambling away and feeling another overwhelming feeling of déjà vu.

Jacob woke up slowly at the loss of intimacy, stretching his long arms above him as he yawned. He squinted against the sun, frowning as he opened his eyes. His awareness sharpened when he roamed his eyes across the room, finally resting on Harry's confused face.

"Oh, fuck, sorry!" Jacob blurted, stumbling out of bed. "I – um, I –" he ran his hands over his shirt, pulling it free of wrinkles. "I'll just – go," he finished weakly.

"How'd you get in?" Harry asked with worry. His mind raced at how Jacob had managed to get in without tripping any of the charms that was in place.

"Um… the door," Jacob replied, pointing downstairs vaguely.

"But it was – locked... And alarmed. Wait, what are you doing here?"

"You – you were having a – you were dreaming. And I –" Jacob frowned as he tried to explain. "I – um, I had to get you out of the dream."

"Oh."

"I'm – I'll see you – later," Jacob said, shuffling sheepishly out of Harry's room.

Harry snapped out of his confusion, throwing the sheets off of him as he jerked upright. "Wait! Breakfast," he exclaimed.

"Would you like some?" Jacob asked, turning slowly and smiling at Harry.

"No – I mean, yes – no, I – did _you_ want some breakfast?" Harry stammered. Jacob nodded, amused at Harry's perplexed state. Harry nodded absently, walking out of his bedroom blearily and sidling past Jacob.

After the stolen kisses at the beach, Jacob had noticed Harry's growing bewilderment at how much his life had changed in a matter of a month. Once in a while, Jacob would notice a flicker of recognition passing through Harry's face. But when the reaction disappeared, Harry would get silent and contemplative. Jacob knew when Harry was uncomfortable with their proximity to each other. He felt slightly perturbed at this. Harry's eyes shone with adoration whenever they looked at Jacob's, but that was all the love the Harry would show. He didn't know how to act around Jacob, or how to talk to him. He was lost because he was thrust into the relationship headfirst. And that morning, finding Jacob in his bed was nothing short of embarrassing.

Harry stumbled around his kitchen, clearly too smitten with Jacob's tousled appearance to be able to prepare a proper pot of coffee. Jacob shook his head at Harry's befuddlement, taking over the kitchen with ease. He pushed Harry onto the barstool and handed him a freshly made cup of coffee.

"Drink," he said. Harry nodded, sipping his coffee and avoiding Jacob's gaze. "Did you want to do anything today?" Jacob asked, holding up a plate of bread. Harry waved his wand, toasting the bread. Jacob settled down beside Harry, spreading jelly thickly onto the bread.

"I don't know… Dinner?"

Jacob stopped spreading mid-stroke, tilting his head at Harry's quiet comment. So far all they'd done was walk down La Push beach or eat lunch at the bistro near school. He knew that dinner was a big step for Harry to take. Jacob went back to spreading the jelly. "Yeah, dinner would be fine."

"Hmm…" Harry said, biting down on his sandwich thoughtfully. He flicked his eyes at Jacob, noticing him staring. He kept eating slowly, taking deliberate bites. Jacob kept staring. Harry quickly gulped some coffee, scalding his mouth. With a sigh, he turned to stare back at Jacob. "What, do I have something on me?"

"I'll get it," Jacob muttered, grasping Harry's chin with one hand and running his fingers along the full lips. Harry pulled back, frowning. He licked his lips tentatively.

"Is it gone?" he asked. Jacob nodded, smiling crookedly and returning to his coffee.

Harry looked at Jacob's profile a while longer, then turned back to his mug, blushing profusely. He wanted another kiss. He didn't know why. But he wanted one. Frustrated with his whirlwind emotions, Harry quickly downed his coffee and got up. Jacob grabbed Harry's arm, swung him around and placed a hot hand on the cheek. Harry was too stunned to make a sound. They were so close to each other, Jacob on the stool and Harry teetering on his toes, trying to reach up.

"Did you want to kiss me, Harry?" Jacob asked, pressing his fingers against Harry's parted mouth.

"Um… I – no," Harry lied.

Jacob blinked at Harry, resting his fingers on the corner of his lips. "Pity," he muttered. He still didn't let go of Harry's arm, and Harry stood as he was. Harry ran his eyes down Jacob's relaxed face, trying to will his brain into remembering everything about him. His mind clouded when he couldn't place the eyes anywhere.

"What the hell, right?" Harry mumbled impulsively, yearning to capture Jacob's lips against his own.

Jacob moved in, his heart leaping. "Yeah, what the hell…"

Harry moaned into Jacob's hungry lips. He felt Jacob's tongue slipping into his urgently, wanting to taste everything before it was over. He wrapped his arms around Jacob's neck, pulling him down. Jacob stumbled out of the stool, winding his arms around Harry's waist and lifting him up. Harry felt his body dangling in Jacob's arms, desperately trying to get as close as possible. He gripped Jacob's hair, holding him in place. Jacob walked them out of the kitchen to the living room, falling onto the sofa heavily with Harry clutched to his chest. Harry's hands slipped under Jacob's shirt, blood rushing into his head as he felt the hardy and hot muscles under the clothes. It felt so familiar, yet so alien. The thought tugged at Harry, causing him to squirm. Harry pulled back, causing Jacob to groan. "How often have we done this?" Harry asked. Jacob's mind was a mess. He'd waited patiently for two weeks now and his resolve was weakening by the second.

"I don't know," he said helplessly, rolling over and falling on the carpeted floor, pinning Harry under him with his strong body. "I don't know, maybe twice before. Oh god, Harry," he groaned, dropping his lips heavily on Harry's swollen ones. Their teeth clashed painfully as Jacob took Harry's breath away with a passionate kiss. His hot hands slashed against Harry's stomach as he ran them up Harry's shirt. Harry whimpered at the intimate touch.

"Please, Jacob. Too fast," Harry gasped, feeling his erection grinding against Jacob's. Jacob was still atop him, apparently struggling with his primal need and his common sense. "Jake, dinner first, okay?" Harry muttered breathlessly. Jacob moaned into Harry's lips, kissing him firmly one last time before rolling off of him. They lay on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. Jacob inched his fingers towards Harry's wrist, wrapping them around it possessively.

"Dinner first," he repeated after Harry.

Afternoon found the two sitting on the couch, watching television. Harry had uncertainly placed his head on Jacob's lap, bringing his knees up to his chest and hugging them tightly. Jacob wrapped his fingers around Harry's untidy hair, twisting them around absently. Harry chuckled every time Jacob laughed, his body jostled by the effort with which Jacob expressed his amusement. Harry looped an arm around Jacob's thighs, enjoying the warmth and welcoming emotion the contact gave him. It was at such a moment that Hermione's head appeared in the fire.

"Harry, I figured it out!" she called out, not realizing that Harry was sitting right in front of her. Harry was surprised to find that he wasn't ashamed to be caught in the position he was in. Jacob stopped his stroking, pulling his fingers away gently.

"What, Hermione?" Harry asked, sitting up slowly, his arm still placed lightly on Jacob.

"Your memory!"

Harry sprang up, wrenching his numb feet under him as he sped to the fireplace. He knelt down, anxious.

"It was so simple. But I don't know if it'll work. I mean, I'll need Jacob's help," Hermione said speedily. "We'll use a Pensieve, Harry. We'll use Jacob's memories and then you can see exactly what happened the past month. Or at least, when you guys were together."

"But, he's not a wizard. How do we extract it?"

"That's the part I'm not so sure about, Harry. Maybe the same way you extract yours. But it's a start, isn't it? Once you see Jacob's memories, you'll have some of your own – it's not as effective as having the old memories back, but it's something, right?"

Harry nodded vigorously. He felt Jacob's presence beside him as the shapeshifter knelt down before the fire and placed a warm hand on the small of Harry's back. Harry was shaking with relief. There was still hope. "Should I just try it right now?" he asked, pulling out his wand.

Hermione glanced at Jacob, unsure. "I don't think – I mean, we don't know how he'll react to the regular charm."

"We won't know until we try, right?" Jacob said.

"_Accio Pensieve_," Harry muttered. A few seconds later, his small grey marble Pensieve appeared beside him, already swirling with archived silver memories.

"How does this work?" Jacob asked nervously.

"It's quite simple for me. See?" Harry pulled out a short strand of memory from his head, the one with Jacob's hearty laugh. He moved his wand to his temple and then started to pull it away, releasing a shimmering glow of silver that attached from his head to the wand. Once the memory was completely out detached from him, he dipped his wand in the bowl, letting the silver strand mix in with the silver misty liquid already present in the Pensieve. "Now I have a copy of the memory in there. I don't have to remember every detail because it's already in here. I can look through it whenever I want to. It's easy for me to do because I'm a wizard. I don't know how it'll be for you though." Harry looked at Jacob with trepidation.

"Worth a shot, right?" Jacob said, biting his lip.

Hermione had watched the exchange so far without uttering a word. But when she noticed Harry nod, she had to interject. "Um – maybe I should be there, Harry," she said, flicking her eyes from Jacob to the Pensieve.

"Y – yeah," Harry said, sighing with relief.

"Okay. Floo is fine, right?"

Harry nodded, motioning for Jacob to stand up and step back. The green flames shot up into the chimney and Hermione entered the room, sooty and coughing. She quickly brushed the ashes off of her hair and face, gulping nervously. "Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "Whenever you're ready."

Harry tried to calm his shaking hands. "Er – maybe we should sit down," he said hurriedly. Jacob agreed quickly, walking to the couch and sitting down. Harry sat facing him, his hand clenched on his wand. Hermione wrung her hands, pacing in front of the fireplace.

"Start with a small memory. Something from today, so it's still fresh in your mind," she said.

Jacob nodded, thinking about Harry's uncertain face from the morning. "Okay, I have one," he said.

"Alright, Harry," Hermione said, stopping her pacing to watch the spell carefully.

"Sorry if something happens," Harry murmured. Jacob smiled slightly. Harry touched his wand lightly against the side of Jacob's forehead. "_Extractum animus_."

Jacob frowned as he felt a slight pull on his mind and a trickling sensation on his head. He resisted the urge to swipe at his temple. He concentrated on Harry's hesitant words from the morning. He hoped feverishly that it worked. He realized that he had squeezed his eyes shut, but he couldn't bring himself to open them, lest he break the spell. After a long moment, he felt the spell lifting off of him, leaving his mind. He cracked his eyes open, staring into Harry's.

"Did it work?" he asked.

Harry nodded slightly, then shook his head. He shrugged, looking at his empty wand. There was no silver strand attached to it. He cleared his throat. "I – er – I saw it, in my head."

"I suppose that works too," Hermione said weakly, staring at Harry's wand in bewilderment. "I guess you took the memory out and put it in your head instead of the Pensieve, Harry. Which is – fine too… I guess."

"Do you want to try again?" Harry asked Jacob.

Jacob nodded, taking another deep breath to calm himself.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N:** Okay, so maybe I got a little _too_ silly with this chapter. I couldn't help it. Everything's been so depressing. I need the silliness.

-x-

"_Extractum animus_," Harry mumbled, steeling himself for the onslaught of memories. He frowned when he didn't receive any. "Um – it's not – oh…" A spark of water flashed in his mind. He frowned, trying to focus on it. Another spark showed the stony beach. Then the scene filled itself in. Harry was seeing through Jacob's eyes. He was slightly unnerved as he saw himself standing on the beach. The vision blurred slightly, as though Jacob was losing bits of it. Harry reached out and clutched Jacob's hand, wrapping his fingers around Jacob's. The vision held steady. Jacob was walking down the beach hesitantly, watching Harry.

Harry saw himself looking out into the ocean, apparently oblivious to Jacob's hulking body beside him. He heard Jacob's voice.

"You alright?"

Harry saw himself jump in fright, and then stumble back at the sudden appearance of Jacob. Jacob always seemed to turn Harry into a bumbling idiot. Their first encounter was no different. Harry noticed how bloodshot his eyes were. _Probably from crying. _ Against his unusually pale face, he looked utterly miserable. _No wonder Jake was worried_. He vaguely heard them chatting and felt Jacob's laugh. Just mindless babble about home and cars. Jacob wanted to see Harry's BMW. Now they were walking to Harry's car slowly. He felt Jacob's eyes pulling his towards the body of the car. Harry realized that Jacob was checking it out, appreciating it with a large smile. Next thing he saw were the keys flying at him. Jacob quickly caught it, brows furrowed.

"I don't know how to get out of here. Wanna drive?"

Harry's brows went up with Jacob's as he heard himself utter the words. _Wow, I must've really been out of it_. Jacob thought so too, trying to hand back the keys. But after hearing a sarcastic comment, Jacob didn't argue. They got in the car.

"Wait, how old are you?"

"Seventeen?"

Harry laughed at Jacob's hesitant voice and at his own suspicious expression. Being immortal has its confusing moments. Harry's stomach plunged to the ground as Jacob revved the car and sped out of the lot.

"Holy shit, Jacob!" he yelped in unison his past self. He clutched Jacob's hand and Hermione stood stock-still, unsure of what to do. Jacob had a slight smile on his face as he concentrated. Hermione calmed down when Harry laughed in disbelief. Adrenaline was pumping through Harry as Jacob took him on the crazy drive down the guttered road and towards the highway. Once he reached the highway, he heaved a sigh of relief.

"If you'd wrecked my car, I was planning on chocking you to death."

Harry nodded in agreement with himself. The rest of the ride was filled with mindless chatter again, stuff about school, Harry's job, money. Harry wasn't paying attention. Being in Jacob's mind was an experience in itself. Harry felt pulled and pushed in different directions as Jacob moved his eyes, his head, or his arms. Seeing through Jacob was tiring.

Jacob brought Harry to his house in one piece. And that was it. Harry was surprised. No real spark between them like with Edward – just friendly talking and a lot of grinning. It was disconcerting.

"How're you getting back?"

"Running." The next thing Harry knew, he was sprinting into the forest. Then he saw flickers of faces and places as Jacob sifted through his memories to the week after. Harry saw wolves, rusty cars, and green. He stumbled to a halt back at the beach again. Jacob was looking at Harry for a while. Harry was sitting on a beached log, staring out into the ocean. After a long while, Jacob seemed to have had enough of watching. He walked up to Harry slowly, almost thoughtfully.

"You again?"

Harry looked up at Jacob, a slight smile on his face. "Yes, me again." _Wonder what I was thinking about_, Harry thought. He noticed the glazed look in his eyes slowly shifting away as Jacob sat beside him. He wasn't surprised when the topic of conversation turned to his scar. It often did. After an awful joke on Jacob's part, Harry suddenly found himself in the midst of a group of shapeshifters. He frowned in confusion. He saw himself shaking hands with Seth, and then flinching away.

"Hey! Stop skipping over," Harry muttered, squeezing Jacob's hand.

"Fine," Jacob sighed. He quickly showed Harry the parts he had glazed over. Harry smiled slightly at Jacob's comment about fresh meat. _How true_… Then he was back to flinching away from Seth.

The banter between the shapeshifters caused Harry to laugh mutedly. He was caught in the middle from the looks of it. Jacob came to his rescue, claiming that he had driven Harry's car. The jokes started up and Harry watched the shapeshifters interact. Then he was suddenly by the car and Jacob was touching his shoulder.

"You skipped again," Harry said with a frown.

"None of this is important."

"It is to me."

"No, it's not important."

Harry made a noise of frustration and let go of Jacob's hand. But Jacob held on. "_This_ is important," he murmured, transporting Harry to the field with the pack and Bella. Harry was in Jacob's arms.

"_This _is important." Now Harry was in the forest with his Patronus staring at him dolefully and Jacob by his side.

"_And _this." Harry found himself in front of his house in the dark. He was whipped around as Jacob shifted. He watched himself fall to the ground with his head in his hands. He felt Jacob's heart pounding. He felt Jacob's tears.

"And this." Harry saw his life through Jacob's eyes, the way Jacob saw it that night.

"This." Harry turned away from Edward to face Jacob.

Harry was softly kissing Jacob, shy lips on lips and unsure hands moving awkwardly.

Harry was slurping on his spaghetti. _"Maybe it's because you know everything about me. It's so easy to talk to you. A change, really."_

Harry was pushed against the wall with wanton lips_. "You're so perfect."_

_"Jake, let go," Harry muttered, tensing. Jacob shook his head vehemently. "Please," Harry pleaded. "I'll be alright," he said reassuringly._

_"You won't," Jacob said._

Pain…

Hogsmeade in the dark. Destroyed pub. Ariana. Tunnel. _"Jacob can't – he can't feel him anymore._"

Stairs, doors, lake, tomb. _"He's alive. He'll be alright, Jacob."_

Then he was in the hospital bed, being hugged and fawned over. _"You don't remember me…"_

Harry jerked his wand away from Jacob. Jacob blinked at Harry as he felt the presence abruptly leaving him.

"Hermione, I –"

"Right," Hermione interjected. "I'll just – um… I'll talk to you later," she muttered, grabbing a handful of Floo Powder from the mantel and disappearing into the green flames. The two men were alone.

"You weren't supposed to get hurt."

Jacob frowned at Harry. "Huh?"

"No one else was supposed to get hurt. I'm sorry."

"I – I wasn't – you were – I'm not hurt," Jacob said, baffled.

"It's one thing you need to know about me. You'll get hurt. If you want me, you could get hurt."

"If I want you…" Jacob's voice trembled.

"I won't – I won't force you."

"Oh god," Jacob breathed as Harry wrapped his arms around Jacob's neck and kissed him slowly.

"But know that I love you…"

Jacob sighed into Harry, curling his fingers around Harry's waist and deepening the kiss.

"You're so perfect."

Jacob felt a hysterical laugh building up in him. He pulled away from Harry and held him close. "You make me perfect, Harry."

-x-

"So… Nudge, nudge, wink, wink?"

"_Alice_!" Harry hissed, his face reddening with mortification.

"What? I'm just wondering…"

"Please… Go back to your seat," Harry begged, covering his face in his hands.

"I'll wheedle it out of you," Alice said happily as she flounced back to her desk.

It was the last day of classes and everything was a mess. No one could sit still and talks of prom night were taking priority over exams. Harry had given up on his classes after fifteen minutes of enduring glares and pouts. It wasn't too long ago that he had been glaring and pouting at Professor McGonagall for handing out homework on the last day of classes. And that's how he found himself daydreaming at his desk while his class talked excitedly about the 'most important night of their lives'.

"Going?"

Harry rolled his eyes at Edward. "Like hell I am," he muttered.

"Hmm…"

"Vacation."

"Oh? When are you leaving?" Edward asked.

"As soon as I can," Harry said with a smile.

"Where to?"

"Um… I guess, home? Er – London."

"Home."

Harry shrugged, leaning back on his chair. "This is home too."

"Good," Edward grinned. "Have a great trip."

-x-

"Harry!" Molly squealed, wrapping her arms around Harry before he could even step inside the Burrow. "What are you doing here?"

"Surprise!" Harry grinned, reveling in Molly's warm embrace.

"So this was the big secret? I can't believe Ron kept his mouth shut," Molly laughed happily, holding Harry out at arm's length and inspecting him. "You're looking marvelous!" she added.

Harry shrugged and smiled bashfully. Molly's gaze finally shifted away from him. Harry jerked his head and said, "That's Jake."

"Jake?"

"Oh. Um… I thought – didn't they tell – I – er," Harry stuttered.

Jacob rolled his eyes and stepped forward. "Hi. I'm Harry's friend. We thought Ron would have told you. Sorry for –"

"Oh, nonsense! No need to be sorry for anything! Harry's friend is our friend too, after all," Molly said with her motherly grin.

Harry flushed even more. "I – er… He's not just – not just a friend," he murmured.

"Hmm?" Molly asked. But before she could inquire any further, a whirl of red hair and light limbs hurtled through the door and knocked into Harry.

"You're home!" Ginny squealed, sounding remarkably like a younger Molly. She kissed Harry extravagantly.

"Ginny!" Molly exclaimed.

"What?" Ginny asked. "I missed him. No big deal."

Another whirlwind of red hair blew past the doorstep and knocked into Harry.

"You're home!" George squealed and gave Harry an even louder kiss.

"George!" Molly exclaimed.

"What?" George asked. "I missed him. No big deal."

"Prick," Ginny muttered, kicking George's shin.

Harry flicked his eyes at Jacob. Jacob just held his hands up in surrender, a faint smile on his lips. "Who's this?" Ginny asked, jerking her thumb at him.

"Jacob."

"For me?" she asked devilishly.

Jacob's eyes grew wide and a chuckle burst out of him as he looked at Ginny incredulously.

"No. For _me_," Harry retorted smugly without thinking. He was met with silence. "Oh."

Jacob burst out into barely stifled laughter at Harry's horrified expression. George and Ginny gaped at Harry, then at Jacob. Molly let out a surprised laugh and asked, "Not just a friend?"

Jacob and Harry shrugged sheepishly.

"You're _gay_?" the two siblings shouted.

"What?" Charlie exclaimed as he peered over the crowd at the door. "Harry's gay?"

"What?" Percy and Bill murmured from behind Charlie, apparently wracking their brains for the signs. "He is?"

"Huh?" Arthur asked faintly from the drawing room. Ron, Hermione and Fleur were laughing in the foyer.

"Let's just go inside," Harry groaned pitifully.

"Right, inside," Molly agreed quickly, ushering the excited party into the house. Harry received several punches on the arm from various Weasleys. Jacob trailed behind, enthralled by the magical home and its oddities.

"Where'd you find him?" Ginny asked.

"Er… The beach?"

"Find me one of those. He's cute," she stage whispered.

Harry caught Jacob's grin out of the corner of his eye. "I wouldn't wish you on anyone, Gin," Harry said glibly.

"Ah! I'm offended."

"Good. Don't kiss me ever again."

"Only if you say the same to George."

"George, don't kiss me ever again."

"Aw man!"

Ginny grinned and shook her head. "But in all seriousness though… You're doing fine, right?" she asked quietly.

"I am," Harry replied with a smile.

"Good. Because Mum's probably planning on ways to fatten you up. Won't be feeling fine for long."

Harry laughed. "It's why I'm here. To eat."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Men," she muttered. They were in the drawing room now, all of the Weasleys squished on the couches and chairs. Ginny sidled towards Jacob, who was looking extremely guarded at the advancement. "So, Jacob, whereabouts are you from?" she asked mildly.

"Um… Forks. Washington."

"Aw, he even has a cute voice!" Ginny cooed as she turned back to Harry with a sickly sweet smile.

Harry groaned and looked apologetically at Jacob. Jacob winked slightly and mimed 'she's weird'.

"We know," the Weasley brothers said in unison.

Ron caught Harry's eye. Harry watched Jacob being interrogated extensively by Ginny and George. He figured he could spare a few minutes for Ron before safely extracting Jacob. Harry followed Ron into the kitchen.

"So… Any plans?" Ron asked.

"Hmm?"

"Going back?"

Harry leaned against the counter and followed Ron with his eyes as the red head poured two mugs of ale. "Yeah… I still like it there," Harry said.

"And him?"

Harry smiled cheekily. "Yeah, I still like him too," he said, taking a long draught of the cold drink.

Ron grinned and shook his head at Harry. "Hopeless," he muttered.

"I can't believe you didn't tell them about Jake."

"Well… We wanted you to," Ron said, scuffing the floor with his shoe.

"You know I'm awful with words! Why would you not tell them?" Harry asked accusingly.

Ron snorted. "Maybe we wanted to see you stammer and blush yourself stupid," he answered.

"That definitely worked," Harry muttered.

-x-

"What did you think?" Harry asked as he pulled on his pajamas.

"Interesting," Jacob said thoughtfully. He was seated on the bed, cross-legged. Molly had graciously kicked George out of his room. "I see why you like them. They're different from you."

"One way of putting it," Harry said with a happy smile.

"And Ginny is –"

"Let's not talk about her," Harry quickly interrupted. "She isn't always like this, I swear."

"Reminds me of Alice, that's all."

Harry frowned pensively. "You know what? You're right…" he said as he climbed into bed. "I'd never seen it that way. That's weird."

"You do realize I've gone a whole day without a kiss."

Harry arched his brows. "I haven't gotten a kiss either."

"You had two."

"Those don't count."

"Good," Jacob chuckled as he leaned forward and brushed his lips against Harry. Before he could pull away, Harry pressed his palms against Jacob's cheeks and deepened the kiss. Jacob eagerly indulged Harry.

"_No sex in my room_!" George yelled as he banged the door open.

Harry groaned in frustration and pulled away from Jacob. He huffed at George. "Isn't it time you got your own place?"

"No sex."

"Fine, no sex!" Harry repeated impatiently. "Now get out!"

George glared at Harry one last time before stomping out of his room. Harry waved his wand at the door, locking it with spells that would make the Gringotts goblins proud.

"So…" he said, turning back to Jacob. "Want to have sex?"

Jacob licked his lips unconsciously. "Mhm."

"Good," Harry said with a sly smile. "George's in the next room. So we can be _extra _loud."

"Harry Potter, you're turning into a wild child," Jacob said in surprise.

"Must be something in the food," Harry murmured, pushing Jacob down onto the pillows.

"Must be," Jacob echoed faintly as Harry covered his lips with tantalizing sweetness. "Definitely must be," he sighed.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephenie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N**: Have I been torturing you long enough with 'almost sex'? Well, here's the real deal. And a bit more. Enjoy! Or not… I sure enjoyed writing it. :D

**Heaven's Archer**! Yay! Chapter 17 was a success! Thanks for the idea :D

-x-

Harry chuckled into Jacob's mouth as his hands moved across the familiar cheeks, jaw, and neck. "Much better than chocolate," Harry murmured, his lips dragging away from Jacob's and gently tasting his exposed neck. A rumbling laugh crackled against Harry's spine. "So much better," Harry said as he took a slow bite. The laugh turned into a low groan as Jacob ran hot hands up Harry's shirt. Harry gasped at the sudden heat and let go with his teeth, brushing the bruised spot with a kiss.

"Plenty of me left," Jacob said as he helped Harry out of the shirt. He loved the feel of Harry's skin against his hands. It felt soft and cold, smooth under calloused palms. Harry jerked Jacob's shirt away frantically, not wanting to wait another moment to feel all of him. They let out stifled gasps as they came together, lips against neck and hands against backs. Harry felt fingers tugging his hair and he responded with a flighty rush of hands across Jacob's chest. Harry felt so small every time Jacob enveloped him in strong arms. Small wasn't bad, especially if it meant that he could be a perfect match for his soul mate.

"Harry…"

"Oh, god," Harry whimpered as his fingers dug into Jacob's skin. They did this every time. Jacob could often talk Harry into climaxing, much to Harry's chagrin. Just words and Harry was too far gone to care. "No," Harry said with finality, planting his lips against Jacob's to stop him from talking. He felt Jacob's lips pull into a smile.

"No?" he asked. Harry shook his head vehemently. "We'll see," he murmured, pushing up into Harry with his tongue, tasting and drinking it all. Harry was feeling dizzy beyond belief and he gripped Jacob's shoulders to keep from getting disoriented. When he finally pulled himself together, he realized that Jacob was atop him, blindly kissing anywhere he could. He circled Jacob's waist and pushed him down. Both men whimpered as their erections brushed through their pants. Jacob's heart fluttered rapidly as he pulled away to look at Harry's flushed cheeks and pursed lips. His hands traveled down Harry's arm and wrapped around the cold fingers. Harry sighed, his body relaxing under Jacob, and looked up. Jacob lowered soft lips onto Harry's as he slid their arms along the sheets. He held Harry's hands against the headboard and Harry flinched in awareness. Jacob idly nipped at Harry's earlobe and nuzzled his neck.

"Harry…"

Their eyes fell shut.

"You're amazing, you know that?"

Harry laughed mutedly. Jacob was pressing himself against Harry now, his warm breath washing over Harry's neck.

"And I love you."

Harry tilted his head, his cheek nudging Jacob's hair. He looked up into the green eyes. "I love you too…" Jacob smiled, his fingers tightening around Harry's lovingly. They watched each other for a long while, Jacob's head against Harry's shoulder. Harry wondered how such a gorgeous man could be his. Jacob winked. Harry chuckled and leaned in for a chaste kiss.

"I'm the happiest guy alive right now," he said. Jacob moaned in appreciation. Harry held still, reveling in heated lips and soft breaths. He slipped his mouth towards Jacob's jaw. He whispered, "I also said we can be extra loud…"

In a matter of seconds, Harry was moaning without inhibition as Jacob's mouth engulfed his erection. His fingers were still entwined and he crushed them painfully. It was hot and messy, the way Jacob liked it. Harry lurched into the unrelenting tongue. He was nearing his climax too soon. He always seemed to be coming too soon. He growled in frustration, which only seemed to fuel Jacob's amusement and fervor. "More," Harry gasped.

"Hmm?" Jacob asked. Harry twitched as the sound carried into his arousal. Jacob felt Harry pulsing in him. He let his teeth run along the entirety of the erection and Harry all but shouted. The wet moans coming from Jacob was driving Harry into a frenzied state.

"Jake, please."

Jacob pulled up with a slow and indulging lick. Harry was left a shuddering mess. He arched up, needing more friction. He moaned anew when he felt Jacob pressing against his opening. He quickly muttered a wandless lubricating charm and nodded blindly. He gripped Jacob's fingers as he felt the cock enter him painfully. Jacob moved gradually, letting Harry adjust as he entered. Once Jacob was fully sheathed, they held still against each other. The pain dulled inside Harry after a few minutes and he opened his eyes to look at Jacob. He licked his lips, waiting. Jacob tilted his head thoughtfully. Harry jerked his brows and smiled, a silent challenge in his eyes. He wrapped his legs around Jacob's waist and pushed in further. His head fell back as he was filled beyond belief. Jacob forgot how to breathe as he nestled inside Harry's warm and narrow orifice. He pulled out a few inches and forced himself in again. Harry cried out as Jacob nudged his prostate. Jacob always knew where it was without second-guessing. As the first flair of heat and pleasure waved through Harry, he found himself thrusting against Jacob. He was met halfway. They strained against each other, fingers tangled and breaths mingling. Jacob captured Harry's lips in his harsh mouth, biting and sucking on it as he pounded down. Erotic shouts and moans filled the room. Their fingers moved away from each other. Harry found Jacob's back and Jacob found Harry's hips. They dug in, sweat slicked and panting, as they did everything to satisfy. Their magic flared in them, burning them.

Harry shouted in ecstasy when Jacob lifted him off the bed, still attached. He straddled Jacob's narrow hips as they moved together, Jacob on the bed and Harry against him. Jacob felt Harry slip further down and he groaned gutturally. Harry leaned forward and pressed his palms against Jacob's shoulders. He pulled up and plunged. Jacob snarled in passion, his eyes clenched shut and his teeth bared. Harry shivered at the image as he moved up and pushed down again.

"Harry, I'm coming."

Harry shook his head but Jacob couldn't see him. So he also added, "Not yet."

Jacob's eyes shot open, irises dilated to almost black. "What?" he gasped as Harry pushed into him harder.

"Not yet."

He groaned when Harry's lips demanded against his mouth. Harry knew everything that could undo him. Harry loved to undo him. Chills ran down his body as he quivered inside Harry. He felt Harry's magic pushing him, heightening his senses. His mind turned into hot flames as Harry's hands, now as warm as his own, ran down his sides repeatedly. He felt the clenching on his cock and he thought he would go mad with Harry thrusting into him like this. Harry watched Jacob lose control over almost everything as they made love. It was perfect every time.

"I need – Harry, please, I want to – oh god, how are you –" Jacob hissed through gnashed teeth.

Now Harry felt Jacob's magic enveloping him demandingly. He whimpered in desire, his body giving up suddenly as he slumped down hard. Jacob cried out as he felt the heat in his body turning cold instantly. They climaxed in crashes. Jacob's arms hugged Harry close to him as he bucked up subconsciously. Harry felt drained as the orgasm flew him over the edge. They drove into each other, slowing with each passing second. Harry felt Jacob's heart pounding against his cheek as he wrapped his arms around Jacob's neck. They didn't know how long they had climaxed for, but it seemed to take days before either came down. Jacob was firmly planted inside Harry. Harry waved his hand tiredly, cleaning up the mess they'd made and dragging the sheets over them.

Jacob ran his hands down Harry's back soothingly, sleep drawing his eyes closed. Harry sighed into Jacob's chest, breathing evenly even as shudders passed through him at intervals.

"Loud enough?"

"Mmm…"

"Good?"

"Brilliant."

They smiled to themselves as they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Insistent pounding on the door woke them up five minutes later. Harry groaned miserably, his arms tightening around Jacob's neck. He buried his head against Jacob's neck and shook his head. Jacob sighed drowsily and gave Harry a quick squeeze. "Maybe we shouldn't have been so enthusiastic," he murmured.

Harry laughed, then moaned as the laugh jostled his muscles. "I can't move…" he whispered, kissing Jacob's neck lazily.

"Neither can I…"

This led to more laughs as Harry brought his wand out from under the pillow and flicked it at the door. Jacob pulled out of Harry gingerly. Harry protested vaguely but he rolled off of Jacob anyway. "It's open," he said, his voice scratchy from the strain.

The door shot open to reveal Ginny and George looking more than peeved in the hallway.

"What?" Harry asked tiredly, falling back onto the pillows.

"I thought I said _no sex_."

Harry resisted the urge to laugh by biting his tongue. He didn't respond.

"Two hours! How the hell is that even possible?"

Jacob started shaking next to Harry as he threw the covers over his head. Harry felt arms wrapping around his back and Jacob was laughing into Harry's stomach. Harry shrugged nonchalantly. "Happens all the time," he said. This caused Jacob to snort and bite down on Harry to stop from waking up the whole house with his loud laughs. Harry gasped, swatting Jacob from over the cover. "Stop," he muttered.

George and Ginny shuddered, their thoughts obviously turning to sex. They shuddered again as a look of horror dawned on their faces. Before Ginny could make a move, George had already slammed the door shut with his wand. Harry heard them gagging in the hallway. He threw the covers back to reveal Jacob trying to smother his laughs. "You bit me!" Harry exclaimed.

"Ha – happens all th – the time? What – what the hell?" Jacob stammered, his amusement taking over. "Two hours! Holy crap!" he added.

Harry couldn't help laughing as Jacob's shaking body held him close. "Two… Yeah, how _is_ that possible? That was just round one!"

Jacob couldn't hold it in any longer. He didn't care if he woke anyone up. He laughed uproariously, pulling Harry into a crushing hug. "Just round one," he exclaimed, showering Harry with kisses. "You are something else."

"That I am," Harry grinned as he silenced the room for good measure, his lips cascading onto Jacob's.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer**: I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts. And I'm not Stephanie Meyer either. I'm just borrowing her minions to do my bidding.

**A/N:** Sorry folks, just having a bit of fun with this chapter. It has almost nothing to do with the rest of the story, but it was quite entertaining to write. Here you go :D Cameos by your favorite HP characters! Yay!

* * *

"So…"

"Hmm."

"This is –"

"Yes, it is."

"And it's all –"

"Yes, it's all mine."

"You weren't kidding…"

"I live well below my means."

Jacob stared at the piles of gold, silver, and copper on the dank floor. The stacks were piled up across the dimly lit vault. Harry was leaning against the entrance, watching Jacob's reaction with a smile.

"You are so weird, Harry."

"Thanks."

They were at Diagon Alley, much to Harry's chagrin and Jacob's enthusiasm. Hermione and Molly had insisted that Jacob be taken to the bazaar. First step was getting money to buy things. The ride down to the Gringotts vault had Jacob grinning from ear to ear. And the sight of the contents of the vault had his jaw dropping.

"You could buy a whole country with this money!"

"Which country did you have in mind?"

Jacob turned an amused smile at Harry. "You know…" he started saying as he slowly walked towards the wizard. "You don't have to work a day in your life…"

"Yes, I think I've said that before."

"You have," Jacob murmured, his hands on either side of Harry and his lips floating close by. "Which means…" he said, his warm mouth over Harry's ear. "We don't have to leave our bed."

Harry's eyes fell shut as desire coursed through him. It didn't help that Jacob was kissing down his neck. "S – stop. I am _not_ having sex in Gringotts."

"Oh?" Jacob didn't stop his ministrations. In fact, he redoubled his efforts now, his hands joining in. "We have a key."

"That doesn't –" A loud gasp sounded from Harry, taking the rest of the sentence with it, as Jacob slipped his warm hand in. Harry was falling into a stupor now. He was lifted up with ease and brought to Jacob's level. With a soft laugh, they kissed in the damp vault.

"Don't worry," Jacob said, pulling Harry back. "Having sex in here is pretty gross."

"And here I was warming up to the idea," he retorted, capturing Jacob between his lips again.

The visitor was in awe as he was ushered around the expanse of Diagon Alley. He got eyefuls of brooms, robes, cauldrons, and wands. Instead of being stared at, he was caught staring more often than not. To get him out of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was a struggle in itself. He couldn't get enough of the sweets and Butterbeer. Harry thought Jacob was about to take up permanent residence at Flourish and Blotts. He left Jacob, who was gawking at the moving pictures in the book, and pulled Ron along to find teaching material for the next year.

"You use _these_ books to teach the Muggles?" Ron asked as the two men weaved their way through the store.

"I understand these books better, so yeah," Harry murmured absently after having spotted the section he wanted to be in.

After a few minutes, Ron wandered off to find his beloved Quidditch books. This left Harry open for attack.

"Harry Potter!"

Harry turned with an awkward smile. He didn't have time to register who it was as an obnoxious kiss was shoved onto his lips. He staggered back, wide-eyed. Romilda Vane was standing before him, looking entirely too pleased. The store was deathly quiet after having witnessed the display. Harry tried to keep his frustrated groan to himself as he backed away slowly. "I have waited much too long to do that, Harry," she said in what was meant to be a sultry tone.

"R – right," Harry stammered, blushing as muffled titters sounded around him.

"And now that we're both out of school, I thought that it was time for a fresh start," she continued importantly, inching closer to her obsession in the flesh.

"No. Definitely not. Not a good idea," Harry said rapidly, hoping Romilda understood at least some of the words he had said.

"I don't hold anything against you, Harry," she said, enjoying the way his name rolled off of her tongue. Apparently the only words that got through to her were 'definitely' and 'good idea'.

Harry jerked forward when he bumped someone. "Er – sorry," he murmured as he turned around. Jacob's amused smile caught him and he felt at once relieved and saved. "Thank goodness," he breathed, rolling his eyes at Jacob.

"Does everyone want to kiss you?" Jacob asked mutedly.

"Apparently, everyone thinks I'm the most eligible bachelor here," Harry muttered, flicking his eyes at Romilda who was now looking at him expectantly. "I'm – um… taken," he said uncomfortably.

Romilda's face fell. "No, you aren't. I know you broke up with Ginny," she said, her tone accusatory.

"Right. I did. Now I'm with someone else," he said, trying to reason with his obsessed fan.

Her eyes shone as though a momentary spark had been lit. "Oh, I see. You're playing hard to get," she said coyly.

The shop was about to burst with pent-up amusement now. Harry could feel Jacob doing the same as well. "N – no. No. Not – that… I really am taken," he stuttered, looking back at Jacob helplessly.

"And why do I not know about this?" Romilda demanded, as though she had the right to know every detail of Harry Potter's life.

"Um… I – I don't know…"

"Which is why I think you're lying. So here's what we'll do. You can pick me up at eight and we –"

"Whoa," Jacob interrupted. "You're asking him out?"

That seemed to be all Ron could handle, who was the first to break out into roaring laughter. The rest followed suit, unable to believe their eyes. These things almost never happened. To think it was happening to Harry Potter was amusing to say the least.

Romilda scowled, not pleased with being made fun of. "Yes, I am. Got a problem with that?" she asked, glaring up at Jacob.

"Oh, no. No problem at all," Jacob said quickly, holding his hands out in surrender.

"What?" Harry choked, looking back at Jacob again. "I'm not – no." He shook his head in revulsion. "I mean, um…" He turned to look at Romilda again. "No. No dates. Thanks though."

Romilda's scowl turned fierce. "All I'm asking for is one date. Is that too much?"

"Er…"

"No, it's not," she answered for him. "So you can pick me up –"

"He's quite obviously gay."

The store grew deathly silent at this. Well, most of the store. Ron was rolling on the floor, not even bothering to keep it together. Harry hung his head in defeat before tilting it at Draco. "Really? You just _had_ to do that?" he asked.

Draco smiled graciously. "Yes, I did. Couldn't pass up the opportunity."

Romilda gaped at Harry. "Y – you – you are… G – gay?"

"I'm… taken."

The shattered look on Romilda was as though ten puppies had just died in her arms. Then the murderous glint in her eyes shone as though Harry was the reason.

"Alright then…" Jacob murmured, stepping between Romilda and Harry before either could end up seriously damaged. He didn't have a doubt in his mind that Harry would receive the first punch.

"And he's obviously the boyfriend."

Harry didn't try to mask his defeated groan this time. "Malfoy," he whined.

Romilda's eyes went wide as she stared up at Jacob. He shifted his weight uncomfortably when he felt surprised eyes staring at him. "Um…"

"It's great to see he's about as articulate as you are, Potter."

"Oh my god, Malfoy. Shut up!" Harry said incredulously.

"Who's that?" Jacob asked Harry quietly.

Apparently not quiet enough. "I'm his ex."

A collective gasp sounded in the store. This was the greatest visit to the bookstore ever. Ron sobered up quite quickly at this. Harry blushed in mortification. "You're not my ex," he said sullenly, throwing a dirty look at Draco.

"Um, I'd beg to differ," Draco drawled sarcastically.

"And I thought I told you to shut up."

"Yeah, because I'm going to start listening to you now."

"We didn't even date," Harry said, looking at Jacob.

"Yeah," Draco added. "Just snogged."

Loud squeals sounded around the store as girls either fainted or squeezed their legs together. Ron and Romilda were part of the former.

"Malfoy, I'll sock you one!"

Draco conveniently ignore Harry, looking at Jacob instead. "How did you think he got so good at kissing?" he asked candidly.

Jacob glanced at Harry while biting his lip. "I'd never thought about it when we were making out," he said vaguely.

That did it for the rest of the girls and half the men in the store. Meanwhile, Harry was pounding his head against the bookshelves.

"Learned from the master," Draco winked, grinning without inhibition.

Jacob tried to stop from grinning as well when he saw Harry's utmost interest in bashing his own head in. He dragged the man away from the shelf and pulled him close. "I knew you weren't telling me everything," he murmured, smirking at Harry.

"Malfoy's not anything worth talking about," Harry said, loud enough to spite Draco.

"Always had a way with words," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"So…" Jacob said, flicking his eyes from Draco to Harry. "How'd you break up?"

That set Harry sputtering and Draco laughing. "We weren't even dating!" Harry said emphatically. "We didn't break up!"

"He has commitment issues," Draco said, chuckling.

"No, I don't. You were a prick!"

"And you were a twat. See, peas in a pod."

Blaise sought out that exact moment to descend from the second floor. He stopped short when he saw the flushed customers looking on at the commotion in the middle of the store. He rolled his eyes when he saw Harry glaring at Draco. It was like he had never left. He made his way towards the middle, pushing past unmoving customers. "What the hell, Draco?" he asked, looking from Harry to Draco and back.

"Wanna see what you're missing, Potter?" Draco asked. He grabbed Blaise by the hips and pulled his close for an open-mouthed, wet snog session. Blaise's protests were lost in Draco's lips. The complaints were muted when Draco, quite expertly, maneuvered his wandering tongue into Blaise's mouth. Their hands moved to cradle each other's necks and fingers entangled with hair. It was another couple of minutes before the men separated, flushed and disheveled. Harry and Jacob were slack-jawed when Draco smirked smugly. Blaise kicking Draco's shins repeatedly dulled the effect slightly. "What did you think?" Draco asked, wrapping an arm around Blaise's waist to stop him from bruising any further.

"Wh – what was _that_?" Harry stammered. Flourish and Blotts was no longer the bustling store it had been ten minutes ago. His voice carried through the silent room.

"That was me. Snogging the life out of Blaise."

Harry could do nothing else but shake his head in disbelief. "Was that really necessary?"

Draco shrugged. "No. Not really."

Blaise scoffed. "He's just hung up on you," he muttered, throwing a dirty look at his boyfriend. Draco scowled back.

Jacob laughed at this. "Want to see what _you're_ missing?" he asked, leaning down to gently brush his lips against Harry. A flare of magic burned through them as their breaths melted together. Harry rose on his toes, trying to get closer. Jacob smiled at this, pushing down to help accommodate Harry's ministrations. Harry's eyes fluttered open when he felt the smile. He stared into Jacob's brown ones, feeling a similar smile grow on him. With a soft peck, they separated as the smiles grew into grins. This time, it was Blaise and Draco who were staring with open mouths. "Something else, huh?" Jacob said, entwining his fingers into Harry's.

Blaise turned to Draco. "Why don't you ever kiss me like that?" he asked in disbelief. "That looked fucking fabulous!"

Draco tilted his head at Harry, silently questioning. Harry smiled, tightening his fingers around Jacob. Draco smiled back before turning to Blaise. "Because _they_ are obviously in love," he said, drawing his brows up to look pointedly at his partner.

Blaise looked offended. "And we're not?" he asked.

Draco rolled his eyes. "We have great sex, Zabini," he muttered.

Harry and Jacob clamped their lips together when they saw an ominous turn in Blaise's expression.

"It's not great sex," Blaise said in an unusually calm tone. "It's unbelievable sex."

Draco laughed, planting a chaste kiss on Blaise. "Right, right. Unbelievable sex."

Harry buried his head against Jacob's arm to stifle his laughter.

"Anyways," Draco said. "Thought you'd died or something, Potter. Hadn't heard a peep from you in a year."

"No such luck," Harry chuckled.

"And where'd you find him?"

Harry grinned up at Jacob. "He found me."

"Oh, don't make me hurl," Draco and Blaise muttered in unison.


End file.
